It's What We've Gotta Do
by shanelover89
Summary: It's Landon and Jamie's wedding...with a twist! Their friends can't accept it and their parents think they're crazy, so Landon and Jamie decide to elope. What will happen? Please read and review! COMPLETE!
1. Prologue

Prologue:

_Jamie stared up at the starry sky through the telescope Landon had made for her – she still couldn't believe he'd finished it. They sat down, Landon posing on one knee as he looked up at Jamie with love in his eyes._

"_Do you love me?" Landon asked._

_Jamie was surprised, to say the least. Did he really not know? "Mmm hmm," she mumbled as she nodded._

_Landon's grin grew to a full-fledged smile that covered his entire face. He took Jamie's hand in his own as he asked, "Will you do something for me, then?"_

_She knew she probably couldn't, but Jamie still answered him the way she wanted to. "Anything." She saw Landon take in a gulp of air and exhale slowly before he asked the question he'd been building up to._

"_Will you marry me?" Landon breathed a sigh of relief as Jamie smiled the biggest smile he'd ever seen and leaned in to kiss him…deeply._

"_So, is that a yes?" Landon asked playfully when they had pulled apart. Jamie jokingly (and gently) smacked him across his face._

"_Duh…" She smiled and laced her fingers between his. She looked at him and said, "You know, as thrilled as I am right now, there is one thing I'm scared of."_

_Landon knew he didn't want to think about Jamie's illness right now…this moment was too special and he didn't want to ruin their memory of it by talking about something that they both knew was inevitable. "Jamie, let's not talk about that…we'll have other times. Just… not now, okay?"_

_He was misunderstood...and it was obvious. Jamie tried to explain. "Landon, I'm not talking about my leukemia. … I'm scared of telling our parents."_

_Landon just laughed in relief. "Don't worry, baby. It'll be okay. I'm sure they'll be thrilled."_


	2. To Do or Not To Do

Chapter 1

"Landon, is this really how you want this to happen?" asked a shaken Jamie. She was trying to be brave, but how could she? Especially after that reaction. She could still remember it…clear as day.

"_You're what!" shouted Cynthia Carter, eyes wide. Her hands were placed on her hips and she seemed to be coming closer to the young couple by every second._

"_Getting married," Landon countered back. Jamie smiled at him – he was just so adorable. He seemed so sure of himself, of their relationship, of everything. And he had no problem showing it. "Jamie and I love each other, and we want to be able to celebrate our love like everyone else." She felt him give her hand a gentle squeeze and she squeezed his in reply._

"_Landon, you are NOT like everyone else! Your situation is so different from most. I understand that you're in love, but marriage? It seems like you might be going a little overboard here. Maybe you need some time to think about this."_

"_We don't need time! We don't have any time," Landon stated softly, as if it had just hit him. Without missing a beat, he finally finished just as strong as before. "This needs to happen right now!"_

"_Landon, clam down. You're not thinking clearly or rationally. You're young and naïve and you can't possible imagine how hard this is going to be."_

"_Son, she's right," Hegbert chimed in, much more calm than Cynthia. "If you think letting Jamie go now would be difficult, think about if she was your wife. It would be near impossible, and I don't want this to be any harder for you than it's already going to be."_

"_Sir, I'm not trying to disrespect you, but I wouldn't love Jamie any more or less as my wife. I don't want time to slip away. Reverend, I already feel like Jamie's my wife, and I want it to be reality. I'll never forgive myself if this doesn't happen."_

_Hegbert started to respond, but never got the chance. Landon got out of his seat and walked across the yard to the driveway. He opened the door to his red Camaro and looked Jamie's way. She gave a sad look towards her father and followed her love. She knew what he wanted to do, and she didn't blame him. It didn't look like their parents were going to support their decision. Hegbert stood with tears in his eyes and watched them until they were out of sight._

"No, baby, I don't." Landon's eyes stood fixed on the road as he passed a sign that read: _Boston, 200 miles._

"Then why are we doing it?" Jamie seemed genuinely confused, yet Landon thought certain, both at the same time. If that was even possible.

"Baby, I told you, I don't know. The only thing I know is that I want…" He paused, pondering. "…No, I need you to be my wife. It's what I need to feel whole. You complete me, Jamie."

Jamie smiled at Landon, her heart full of love and a tired expression covering her face. They'd been driving all day and night, so it was expected. She knew Landon had to be getting near pass-out mode, but he wouldn't admit that he was tired. Since he never let anyone drive his car, he'd been forced to drive the whole way. They still had over ten hours to go, so he was thinking about asking Jamie if she wanted to get a room and sleep for a couple hours. Landon didn't know how to approach the subject, though.

They soon spotted a small restaurant slash motel in the distance, so Landon thought it would be the perfect opportunity to bring up his little proposal.

"Baby, do you wanna stop? Are you hungry? Tir-" Landon asked, being cut off by Jamie.

She giggled. "Sure, but I'm more worried about you. At least I slept last night."

"But, Jamie, your illness…"

"Landon, I promise, I'm fine. Let's stop, though. Give our legs a little stretch and you a break."

Landon quickly found a parking spot and stopped. They got out of the car and walked hand-in-hand up to the modest diner.

"Hi, welcome to the Grandview Café. Smoking or non?" the friendly greeter asked as they walked up to the wooden podium.

"Non," replied Landon, looking around the place. There was an elaborate buffet set up on the other side of the room and what seemed to be an arcade next to it. Landon nudged Jamie in the ribs. "James, look at that. We'll have to check it out before we leave." He was as giddy as a little boy in a toy store.

Jamie giggled and slid her hand into his. "Okay, if you really want to," she said sarcastically as they were led to their booth.

"Maya will be your server this evening and should be with you shortly," the girl said as she handed them their menus.

"Thank you," Jamie replied, her eyes still gazing into Landon's. They sat like that for a moment, not saying anything to each other. At least it felt like a moment. Apparently, it had been much longer.

"Excuse me? … Excuse me?" a young Hispanic woman asked over and over, trying to get her customers' attention.

When Landon and Jamie realized what was happening, a blush covered both of their faces. "Oh, I'm sorry," Landon quickly said, trying to recover from his embarrassment.

"It's fine," the waitress responded, smiling at them. Taking out her order pad, she asked, "Do you know what you want or do you need a few minutes?"

"Umm, I just wanted the buffet," Jamie said meekly, still a bit red.

"Okay, one buffet," Maya said as she wrote.

"Actually, make that two," Landon said.

"Alright, and would you like anything to drink?"

"I'll have some sweet tea, please," Jamie answered.

"Okay, and for you, sir?"

"Sweet tea, also."

Maya smiled at them. "Okay, you can help yourself to the buffet and I'll be back shortly with your drinks." As she walked off, Landon looked over to her as she whispered, not too quietly, though, to one of her co-workers, "Gosh, they really are perfect for each other." Landon let out a laugh, which was soon harmonized by Jamie's unique giggle.

"I have to agree, we are pretty damn cute together," Landon said, leaning in towards his fiancé.

Jamie gave him one of her "I-heard-that" looks and leaned in herself, lightly touching her lips to his. "Yes, we are."

Soon after, their drinks were brought out and they helped themselves to the large assortment of food. After returning to the table with her plate, Jamie fully realized how tired she was. She could only imagine how Landon was feeling. Jamie was strongly considering asking him if he wanted to rent one of the motel rooms and sleep there for the night. She figured he'd say he was fine and he could keep going, but that was just part of the stubbornness in him which she'd come to love. A couple minutes later, Landon returned. Jamie didn't realize he was having the same thoughts as her. She soon found out, though.

"Jamie, baby, I need to ask you something," Landon said nervously as he took a bite. After swallowing, he added, "I just don't know how."

"Landon, you can talk to me about anything. Go ahead, shoot," Jamie replied, taking his hand in hers.

Feeling the warmth of her skin against his, Landon felt a little more at ease. "Umm, well…I'm getting pretty tired, and…uhh…I know you are, too, and…I was wondering…if you wanted to…umm…" He couldn't bring himself to say it. Jamie, on the other hand, knew exactly what he was trying to spit out.

"Landon, do you want to get a room?" Jamie finished for him, a small smile planted on her lips.

Landon let out a rush of air that he hadn't realized he'd been holding in. "Yeah. That is, if you want to. I don't want you to do anything that you're not comfortable with. If you want to wait until we're married, I'm okay with that…"

"Who says anything has to happen?"

"No one. It's just that it's gonna be tough to hold back, you know? We'll be all alone, with temptation staring us right in the eye. I just want our wedding night," he smirked at this, realizing that that night would be there very soon, "to be special, and I know you do, too." Landon knew Jamie was still a virgin, but she seemed so at ease with their situation.

"You're right," she stated, squeezing his hand a little tighter. "But just because we sleep together doesn't necessarily mean we have to _sleep together_, you know? I trust you with everything else in my life, so why shouldn't I trust you now?" Jamie said softly, her face flushing with color.

"Because I don't trust myself," Landon responded, laughing. He'd fooled around with Belinda once or twice, and he knew how hard it could be to stop something once it got started.

"Oh, Landon, that's ridiculous…" Jamie said, giving his hand a squeeze. "You've become such a wonderful person in the last few months…" she tried to explain.

Landon interrupted. "Baby, I know, but I don't think you understand how hard it's gonna be for me."

"Landon, I love you, and it's gonna be hard for me, too, but we can work through it together." She gave him one of her sweet smiles and added innocently, "Besides, don't you think we'll be a little too tired?"

He laughed out loud and took her hand in his, rubbing his thumb across the back of it gently. He brought it up to his mouth and planted his soft lips on it before setting it back on the table. "Oh, baby, I love you so much." His eyes gazed into her own, causing her chills.

"I love you, too, Landon."

After finishing their dinners and checking out the arcade, Landon and Jamie walked hand-in-hand across the parking lot over to the motel portion of the building to get a room. Landon opened the door and held it, motioning for Jamie to go ahead of him. She gave him a smile as he let go of the door once he was inside and took her hand in his once again. They made their way over to the front desk where a woman sat. She had dirty blonde hair pulled atop her head in a ponytail. She was reading a magazine and had an open can of Mountain Dew next to her. When she heard the young couple's footsteps, she looked up.

"Hi, how may I help you?" she asked, pulling out a reservation book from behind the desk.

Landon smiled at Jamie. "We'd like to get a room for the night, if it wouldn't be too much trouble."

"Oh, not at all." She made her way over to a nearby computer. "You said one night?"

"Yes, ma'am," Landon responded, not taking his eyes off of Jamie. She gave him a cute smirk as she stood on her tiptoes to plant a light kiss on his cheek. Now, any other time, this would have been considered a sweet, loving gesture, and _only_ a sweet, loving gesture in Landon's mind, but with all of the emotions running through him and the thought that they were going to be spending the night together, Landon realized that he was losing control. He took a deep breath and released it slowly as the woman behind the desk finished their transaction. She handed Landon the key to he and Jamie's room.

"Alright, you'll be in room 27 for the night. Enjoy your stay and if you need anything at all, don't be hesitant to ask."

"Thank you," Jamie replied sweetly, before heading out the door with Landon.

The woman smiled at the happy couple. They couldn't have been more than eighteen, so she figured what they were probably going to be doing for the evening. Boy, was she wrong.

Landon slid the cheap plastic card into the slot in the door, and hearing the small beep as a green light came on, he took the key out and turned the door handle. As the door swung open, he let go of Jamie's hand so he could pick up the two suitcases that they had brought along for the trip and set them inside the small room.

Jamie flipped on the light switch and looked around the room. There were two queen-sized beds and a bathroom adjacent to them. A small television sat across the room on a low-height dresser that was situated just outside the bathroom door. The walls were off-white and a cheap, blue curtain covered a window that had a small air conditioner sitting under it. The room smelled cold, like the air in the room had been set on forty degrees for a few days.

"So, here we are," Landon said, as if it needed announcing.

"Yep," Jamie replied, looking at Landon and walking over to him. She leaned against his chest as his arms wrapped around her thin frame. She yawned – it was so soft and innocent.

"Tired, baby?"

"Mmmm…" Jamie mumbled, pulling away from him. "I'm gonna go get ready for bed and turn in early tonight."

"That sounds good." Landon leaned down and picked up their luggage and set both suitcases on the nearest bed. Jamie got into her own and pulled out her toothbrush, a comb, and a light blue nightgown. She headed over to the doorway of the bathroom, and turned around once more before walking in.

"I'll be right out.'

"Okay," Landon said nervously. He knew that he and Jamie couldn't do anything, but she always had to make it so hard for him. As she closed the door, Landon shivered, not just from the coldness of the room, but from the thoughts of being with Jamie in that _certain way_. It was only a day away. They would arrive in Boston tomorrow, head over to The Wedding Chapel where a minister had agreed to marry them, and after the ceremony, they would go back to their hotel to show each other just how much love they were blessed with.

"Landon, are you getting cold feet?" Jamie asked with concern. She and Landon were laying in bed together, watching a little t.v. before they turned in for the night, but Landon didn't seem all there. It was almost as if he wasn't sure about what they were actually going to go through with.

"No, absolutely not. I can't wait to marry you," Landon answered, smiling at his fiancé, "have babies with you, spend my life with you. … You know what?"

Her eyes met his in a passionate stare. "What?" she asked playfully.

Landon answered in all seriousness. "I want you to give me a daughter that looks exactly like you, so you'll always be with me."

His lips brushed against hers as she said, "I'll work on that," finishing with a small giggle. That hand that had been resting on his stomach began to draw small circles on his chest and Landon pressed his lips to Jamie's neck, planting light kisses up and down the length of it. He finally reached her lips and he felt her part them for him. He tongue slid into her mouth, stroking the inside of her cheeks in sheer passion. Jamie felt for the bottom of Landon's t-shirt, and upon finding it, she reached her hand up under it and began to stroke his back lovingly. Landon felt himself harden, and he heard Jamie's small gasp at the evidence of his arousal, which was resting against her thigh. Landon knew that if they didn't stop in the next few moments, he wouldn't be able to control himself. He pulled away from Jamie, her mouth still parted in preparation for their next embrace, eyes wide with excitement.

"Tomorrow, baby," Landon said, trying to explain. "Tomorrow."

Jamie seemed to get it. "Okay," she said, smiling. She gave him one last peck on the lips and stood up. She walked a couple of steps to get to the other bed and climbed in after pulling down the sheets and comforter. Jamie rolled over to face Landon, and they stared across the room into each other's eyes until they fell asleep.

A/N: Okay, I know that when Landon said, "I want you to give me a daughter that looks exactly like you…" I stole that line from _Guess Who_, but I was watching that movie as I wrote this, and it seemed so fitting for that moment in the story. So please don't sue me! Also, The Wedding Chapel and Bay Colony Bed and Breakfast are real places in Boston.


	3. Pre Wedding Jitters

Chapter 2

Jamie woke up the next morning to Landon's lips on her own. Her eyes slowly opened and flickered as she adjusted to the light change.

"Good morning," Landon said playfully.

"Mmmm…morning," Jamie answered. "…What time is it?"

"About five-thirty…I thought we should get back on the road as soon as possible."

"Sounds good." Jamie threw the blankets down off of her and pulled her feet out from under them. As she stood up, she reached high above her head to stretch, standing on her tiptoes, finishing with a long, drawn-out yawn. Landon smiled at her in amusement. She gave him a quizzical look. "What?"

"You're just so adorable." He walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her lithe form, leaning in for a good-morning kiss. Jamie pulled away. Landon looked hurt as she tried to explain.

"Not until I brush my teeth. I've got morning breath…really bad." She giggled and a blush crept up her cheeks.

"Baby, you know I wouldn't stop loving you because your breath makes me gag…you're too special," Landon answered sarcastically. Jamie playfully hit him on the shoulder.

"Well, I love _you_ too much to make you hurl, so I'm gonna go brush 'em. It'll only take two minutes, tops. Can you wait that long for your good-morning kiss?"

Landon sighed dramatically. "Okay, if I absolutely _have_ to."

"You do," Jamie finished as she walked into the bathroom and turned in the infamous fluorescent lights that were standard in any hotel bathroom, closing the door behind her.

Upon entering the small, white room, Jamie looked in the mirror as she turned on the faucet and splashed cold water on her face. Picking up a brush, she began to run it through her chestnut locks as she realized that today was her wedding day. Her wedding day… She couldn't believe it. She knew how much she loved Landon and knew that she wanted to do this, but she couldn't help but feel a twinge of nervousness. But on top pf all that, Jamie was the most excited she'd ever been in her entire life. Finishing up brushing her teeth, she glanced back into the mirror and a huge smile covered her face.

* * *

"So, you about ready to go?" Landon asked Jamie as he finished zipping up his suitcase and sat down on the bed to put on his shoes.

Jamie walked out of the bathroom, toweling her hair dry. "Yeah, I'll be ready in no time," she said, walking over to the table by the window to grab her comb.

"Good. I'll just throw our stuff in the car and grab something to eat from the continental breakfast. What do you want?"

"A bagel sounds good…yeah, a bagel with strawberry jelly. I'll be ready by the time you get back…I promise." She walked over to him and gave him a peck on the lips. Landon walked out the door, suitcases in hand, and threw them in the trunk of the Camaro, making his way back inside to the front desk to check out, but not before grabbing Jamie her bagel and an apple and banana for himself.

"You have a nice day, Mr. Carter," the woman at the front desk said politely after finishing his check-out.

'_Oh, if she only knew…'_ he thought to himself. "I will, ma'am. You do the same."

* * *

It seemed to Jamie that they would never arrive in Boston, but when they finally did, she couldn't have been more nervous. After all, she was getting married in just over two hours, and that scared her to death. She and Landon had decided that they would get two separate rooms to get ready in, take two separate taxis, and meet each other at The Wedding Chapel at 4:30, where the ceremony would take place. After, they would head back to the hotel, check into the honeymoon suite, and well, there was an unspoken agreement of what would happen next.

After arriving at Bay Colony Bed and Breakfast, Jamie went inside to the front desk where they already had their reservation set up to get the keys to their rooms, while Landon unloaded their bags and headed inside. After finishing the transaction and handing Jamie the keys to the rooms, the man behind the desk instructed them to have a nice day. Jamie handed Landon his key and gave him a quick kiss.

"I'll see you soon…I love you…"

"I love you, too, baby. Only two hours, right?" Landon responded with a smirk.

"Yep, only two. Bye…" Jamie sauntered down the hallway to the elevators and walked in, waving goodbye as the large metal doors closed in front of her.

Landon, not quite finished with requests from the man at the front desk, made his way back over. "What can I do for you?" the man asked.

"Yeah, umm…could you help me with a little something?"

* * *

Jamie walked into her hotel room and set her things on the bed. The room was definitely nice, but she knew she'd like it even more if Landon was there with her. She decided to take a quick shower, put on a hint of makeup, do her hair, and put on the simple white dress she had had in her closet at home. It wasn't new, but Landon had never seen her in it and she figured it would serve its purpose. On her way into the bathroom, Jamie grabbed a towel, her comb, and her makeup bag.

* * *

After explaining what he needed the man at the front desk to do and giving the supplied he needed to so, Landon practically ran to his room. He couldn't wait to go to the chapel and start the rest of his life. He took a quick shower and got dressed. He hadn't exactly had a tux just laying around when he and Jamie had left, so he had grabbed a nice black suit he had worn to homecoming the year before. As he put it on, he thought, _'It doesn't matter what I wear – it'll just come off later, anyway…'_ and laughed out loud. Landon sat on the bed to tie his shoes and called down to the front desk to make certain that they still had his reservation for the honeymoon suite. After doing so, he hung up and opened the end table drawer, searching for a local phonebook to find a cab service.

Ten minutes later, Landon was standing outside waiting for his taxi. It finally pulled up to the curb and he hopped in. "The Wedding Chapel, 50 Quincy St., Cambridge," Landon said, reading the address off of the small piece of paper he held in his hand.

* * *

Jamie took a deep breath and turned to look at herself in the mirror. Upon facing it, she smiled. She hadn't done a terrible job, especially considering that she'd only had an hour to get ready. Her hair was done in an elegant up-do with strands of hair hanging down on either side of her face, curled loosely. Her makeup was simple – she hadn't wanted to go over-the-top. A light layer of blush covered her cheeks and made her look like she was glowing and she had put on a small amount of silver eyeshadow and mascara to make her eyes pop. And her dress…well, it gave her just the right amount of curviness and showed off her slim figure.

She was ready. Ready to start a new life. Ready to be with Landon until her final day. But most of all, Jamie was ready to begin the best day of her life. She called a cab and made her way across the hall to the elevators.

When she got downstairs, Jamie started to walk outside, but stopped. Landon was standing out on the curb, obviously waiting for a taxi, as well. He. Looked. Good. Not wanting him to notice her, Jamie quietly slipped inside the lobby to wait.

Jamie's cab came soon after Landon's did and she slipped in, careful not to rip the delicate fabric of her dress on anything. "Where to?" asked the cabbie.

"The Wedding Chapel, 50 Quincy St., Cambridge," replied Jamie, reading the small piece of paper in her hand that held the address.


	4. Til Death Do Us Part

Chapter 3

Landon pulled up to his destination and handed the cab driver forty dollars to pay for his trip, opened the door, and stepped out onto the sidewalk. He looked up at the building in front of him. It was beautiful, breath-taking, and absolutely, positively, _perfect_. Landon took a deep breath and strolled in through the big, double doors. A tall, thin woman with bright red hair and a nametag that read _Christy_ greeted him. Landon figured this was who he had talked to on the phone when he'd called about the ceremony.

"Hello, you must be Landon. Welcome," Christy greeted, shaking his hand with vigor. "How're you today?"

"Excited, nervous, happy, and anxious, amazed…practically any emotion or feeling that you could think of," Landon replied, running his hand through his hair.

"Great, great…" mumbled Christy, oblivious to what Landon's answer really was as she looked over the clipboard she held in her hand. She found what she was searching for. "Let's see…you're scheduled for 5 o'clock." She looked at her watch. "Oh! That's coming up quite quickly, isn't it? I'll tell you what. We have a back room for you to wait in, and I'll come and get you when your bride arrives. … That reminds me. Will you be paying upfront or should we send you a bill?"

"Could you send me the bill, please?" asked Landon kindly, not wanting to think about anything except him and Jamie and the next half-hour.

"Yes, Sir," replied the woman, walking off. 'Back room's right through there. It's just around the corner. First door on the right. I'll be back to get you soon. That is, if your bride decides to come…" At Landon's puzzled look, she added, "Just kidding!" Christy walked through a nearby door into an office-type-looking room, closing the door behind her.

'_Now what do I do?'_ thought Landon. He looked around briefly, and then decided to see what was in the back room, wiping the palms of his hands on his pants as he went. God! He was so nervous!

* * *

'_What a time to get stuck in rush-hour traffic…'_ thought Jamie. She sat in the back of her taxi, trying her best to be patient, but she couldn't really help herself. She was going to be late for her own wedding! _'Okay, Jamie. Just relax. You're not going to get there any faster by stressing out over it…so calm down.'_

Half-an-hour later, Jamie's cab pulled up in front of The Wedding Chapel. It was 5:05, and according to Jamie, that was late enough. She handed her driver the money she owed and stepped out of the vehicle and ran up to the building. She went inside and looked around in awe. It was so beautiful. Christy greeted her.

"Hello, you must be Jamie. We've been expecting you. Landon's waiting for you in the back room. If you'll stay right here for just a second, I'll go and get him for you and we can get this party started. Excuse me for a moment…" she said quickly, not even waiting for Jamie to confirm her identity.

The next thing Jamie knew, she saw Landon walking around the corner with a huge smile on his face. He ran up to her and threw his arms around her in a loving embrace.

"Oh, Jamie, that had to be the longest thirty minutes of my life," he admitted into her ear.

"You're telling me," Jamie laughed in reply.

Landon's eyes stood fixed on Jamie's, and when their gaze broke, he gave her a once-over from head to toe. "Baby, you look…" He ran a nervous hand through his hair, exhaling slowly. "…Incredible."

Jamie gave him a sweet smile. "You don't look so bad yourself…" They leaned in for another hug, making this one last a lot longer.

Christy just sort of stood there uncomfortably off to the side, waiting impatiently for them to break apart from each other. As soon as they pulled apart, Christy started talking again.

"If you'll follow me, we can start the ceremony. Come on, this way." Christy led them into a large sanctuary, complete with bouquets of white, red, and pink roses. They walked down the long aisle to the front, trying to make mental pictures of everything they saw for future reference. The stained-glass windows, the old, wooden pews, the dark green carpet that seemed to go on forever. It was all part of the biggest days of their lives, so it didn't matter to Jamie or Landon how simple those things might have been – they were well-worth committing to memory.

"Landon, if you'll stand right here," Christy tapped a small square of floor with her heel, "And Jamie, would you please take your place opposite him?" Landon and Jamie took their places, joining hands as Christy said, "I'll run and get our reverend, and then will start!"

Landon mouthed, "I love you," to Jamie, and was overjoyed when she mouthed it back. He brought her hands up to his lips and kissed them intimately, just as the reverend came out with Christy hanging behind. She went and sat in the front pew, obviously serving as the witness. Before Jamie or Landon knew it, the ceremony had begun.

"We have gathered here today to witness the joining in holy matrimony of this man and this woman. There is nothing more sacred than the covenant of marriage, and with that, I'd like to read a verse of scripture. 'Love is always patient and kind. It is never jealous. Love is never boastful, nor conceited. It is never rude or selfish. It does not take offense, and is not resentful. Love takes no pleasure in other people's sins, but delights in the truth. It is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope, and to endure whatever comes.' Landon, if you would repeat after me. I, Landon Rollins Carter…"

"I, Landon Rollins Carter," he repeated, eyes locked on Jamie's.

"Do solemnly swear to take Jamie Elizabeth Sullivan as my lawfully wedded wife."

"Do solemnly swear to take Jamie Elizabeth Sullivan as my lawfully wedded wife."

"To honor and to cherish her all the days of my life."

"To honor and to cherish her all the days of my life." Landon smiled at his bride, beaming to the brim with happiness.

The reverend turned to Jamie. "Jamie, if you would repeat after me. I, Jamie Elizabeth Sullivan…"

"I, Jamie Elizabeth Sullivan…"

"Do solemnly swear to take Landon Rollins Carter as my lawfully wedded husband…"

"Do solemnly swear to take Landon Rollins Carter as my lawfully wedded husband…"

"To honor and to cherish him, all the days of my life."

"To honor and to cherish him all the days of my life." Jamie looked at Landon with sadness – they both knew those days were slowly coming to an end.

After blessing the rings, the reverend pronounced Landon and Jamie husband and wife.

"Landon, you may kiss your bride."

Landon leaned in towards Jamie, the biggest smile he'd ever had plastered on his face, and pressed his lips to her own. He felt her tense up and knew she wanted more, and so did he. He actually would've gone far enough to say that he wanted to make love to her right then and there, but this obviously wasn't the place for it. _'Not much longer, not much longer, not much longer,'_ he kept telling himself over and over, trying to help with his anxiety. It wasn't working, though.

* * *

As they walked out through the church doors, passersby couldn't help but notice that the two were just married. Many gave the two newlyweds sweet smiles, and Landon and Jamie even received a few, "Congratulations." They walked hand-in-hand to the corner and Landon flagged down a cab. The vehicle pulled over to the side of the road, and Landon opened the door for his wife…_his wife_…and slid in next to her. "Bay Colony Bed and Breakfast, Boston," Landon said, turning his attention to the driver and laughing slightly at his unintentional alliteration. The next moment, though, his attention was focused on Jamie. Once they were underway, their arms immediately wrapped around each other's in a tight embrace. Landon's fingers curled in Jamie's hair as he cooed, "I love you so much, baby."

"You have no idea," she responded, smiling. "You know, when I was little and had wedding fantasies, I never imagined in my whole life that this was the way it would be, but I couldn't have asked for anything better." Jamie pecked Landon on the lips and whispered, "But I know it'll get even better in an hour or so…"

Landon was surprised at this extremely new side of Jamie. It wasn't exactly wild, but for Jamie's personality and self-reservations, it was unexpected, even though Landon wasn't complaining at all. Her remark gave Landon goosebumps, and trying to regain control, he blew out a deep breath. "Yeah…" he responded slowly, as if he wanted to add something else. And, of course, Jamie picked up on it.

"But?"

"No buts. It's just that, well…" Landon paused, trying to think of the right way to phrase it, "I can't believe I actually get to be with you. And, well, I'm kind of nervous about it." His expression brought a smile to Jamie's lips.

"Ahh, that's so cute," Jamie said in a joking voice, but then she wondered something that she'd just kind of assumed she knew throughout the last few months of their relationship. "Landon, are you a virgin?"

He was a bit taken back at the way Jamie had just come out and asked it. They'd never really talked about sex, but Jamie seemed to have no problem discussing it now. Landon supposed that that was probably a good thing, though. He chuckled as he answered, "Yeah."

"Oh…" She looked down at the floor.

"Jamie?'

"Hmmm?" she asked, her eyes raising to meet his again.

He had to know. "Would it have made any difference if I'd said no?" Landon's fingers stroked her arm lovingly.

Jamie thought for a moment before responding. "I'd like to think that it wouldn't, but I can't honestly answer one way or another. I guess I just always assumed you weren't, considering who you ran with for all those years."

"Yeah, well, there were a couple times where Belinda wanted to do it, but I just couldn't bring myself to. I mean, sex is a big deal, and the thought of her being my first was just…unthinkable." Landon took a deep breath and ran nervous hand through his hair. "That's probably the main reason why we broke up, but then you came along and showed me a whole other way of life." He kissed her lips tenderly, but Jamie pulled Landon in closer, meshing her mouth with his. Her tongue slid out and stoked the inside of his mouth. He tasted just like the mint she'd seen him pop into his mouth just before the ceremony started.

* * *

The butterflies in both Landon and Jamie's stomachs as they pulled up to their Bed and Breakfast were unlike any other bouts of nervousness they'd ever felt in their entire lives. Sure, they'd both had their fair share of finals, tests, presentations, and, of course, the play, but nothing could compare to this apprehensive feeling. Nerves on high, they made their way into the lobby and Landon walked up to the front desk.

"How may I help you, Sir?"

"Yeah, reservation for Mr. and Mrs. Carter." Landon squeezed Jamie's hand and she gave him a sweet smile.

"Ah, yes. The honeymoon suite." The man handed Landon a key. "I believe a congratulations is in order."

"Thank you," replied Jamie sweetly.

"Yes, thank you so much. We really appreciate it," said Landon, shaking the man's hand.

"Really, Sir, it's no problem. Have a great stay and if you need anything at all, don't be hesitant to ask. It's our pleasure."

"Okay, thanks," said Landon, taking hold of Jamie's hand. They made their way over to the elevators and walked in. Jamie pressed the button that read "2" and the doors closed in front of them. They both knew that tonight would only bestow more perfection and happiness upon them, and they couldn't wait to get started.


	5. The Wedding Night

Warning: This chapter contains graphic sexuality. Rated MA. If you do not wish to read, go on to the next chapter, where the rating will turn back into T. Thank you!

Song Credit: "I'll Make Love to You" by Boyz II Men

Chapter 4

When they reached their room, Landon opened the door, scooped Jamie up in his arms, and carried her over the threshold. He set her down and she turned to face him, her eyes wide with excitement and the slightest bit of anxiousness.

"Landon…" she started, but he stopped her.

"Baby, before you say anything, turn around." Landon looked as excited as a kid in a candy store.

Jamie turned, and gasped at the sight that greeted her.

Rose petals, hundreds of them, were strewn about everywhere. The bed, the floor, the small, two-chair table that sat by the window, _everywhere_. There were at least two dozen candles burning brightly, lighting up the dark room. On the table by the window, a bucket of ice sat alongside two flukes of sparkling grape juice and a bottle of it sat in the bucket.

"Surprise," Landon whispered into Jamie's ear, placing a soft kiss on her earlobe. "Do you like it?"

Jamie kissed her husband passionately. "Do I like it? Landon, when did you do all this?"

Landon smiled mischievously. "Oh, let's just say I had some help from an old friend."

Jamie looked at him questioningly.

"Okay, okay," Landon sighed as he finally gave in. "I gave the guy at the front desk the stuff and a twenty to do it while we were out. But, if it's any consolation, it was my idea."

Jamie kissed him again. "Oh, Landon, I love it." She leaned over to his ear and whispered, "But, just so you know, the consolation prize is better than what you'd expect."

Close your eyes, make a wish  
And blow out the candlelight  
For tonight is just your night  
We're gonna celebrate, all thru the night  
Pour the wine, light the fire  
Girl your wish is my command  
I submit to your demands  
I'll do anything, girl you need only ask

With just those words, Landon could feel his body heat up with excitement. He cupped his hand on Jamie's cheek as he leaned in for a kiss. Landon could feel her tension as he scooped her up and laid her down on the bed. His breath caught in his throat at the sight of her. Jamie's dark hair had come undone from her up-do, and was spilling out all around the cream-colored pillowcase. Her eyes stared up at him with passion and a bit of fright. He couldn't blame her – he was just as nervous for this night as she was, if not more so. Landon slipped his jacket down his arms and threw it onto the floor. Reaching down, he pulled the straps of Jamie's dress down far enough to slip it off down her body. Now fully exposed, Jamie's breathing began to quicken. She'd never been naked in front of anyone before, so this took some getting used to.

I'll make love to you  
Like you want me to  
And I'll hold you tight  
Baby all through the night  
I'll make love to you  
When you want me to  
And I will not let go  
Till you tell me to

Jamie reached up to undo the buttons on the front of Landon's shirt, kissing him all the while. Once unbuttoned, she pulled his shirt off of him and threw it into the accumulated pile of clothes already on the floor. She pressed her hand flat against his abs, and almost laughed when she felt his muscles jerk involuntarily from her touch. She moved her hands down to unbutton his pants, but found out it was a little harder to do than she expected. She struggled to undo them for a minute until he said sweetly, "It's okay, baby, I'll get it." Within the next second, Landon's pants were unbuttoned and he pulled them down and threw them on the floor. He leaned down to give Jamie a kiss before he reached under her and unhooked her bra, pulling it off and exposing breasts just as perfect as he'd imagined. His hands gripped at the top of her panties and he pulled them down, revealing the rest of her beauty.

Girl relax, let's go slow  
I ain't got nowhere to go  
I'm just gonna concentrate on you  
Girl are you ready, it's gonna be a long night  
Throw your clothes on the floor  
I'm gonna take my clothes off too  
I made plans to be with you  
Girl whatever you ask me you know I'll do

She smiled at him as she blushed and clasped the top of his boxers in her trembling hands and pulled them off. Landon felt his body heat up, and he knew it wasn't just because the temperature of the room was rising. He was blushing.

At the next moment, Landon spread his body out over hers and they kissed passionately, the heat from their touch was causing sweat to pour down both of their bodies and mix together. Landon took hold of Jamie's knees and pulled them apart, laying in between them. He felt Jamie's body start to shake, and he whispered softly, "It'll be okay, baby. I love you…" He planted kisses down her torso until he reached her womanhood and his hand covered her intimately.

I'll make love to you  
Like you want me to  
And I'll hold you tight  
Baby all through the night  
I'll make love to you  
When you want me to  
And I will not let go  
Till you tell me to

Jamie let out a deep moan as he slipped two fingers inside her, and let out an additional moan each time he thrust them into her. She couldn't take it anymore. The ache between her legs let her know her body was ready for his.

With one pleading look from Jamie, Landon knew exactly what she wanted. He pressed himself against her – he could feel her heat. Their bodies molded together and he entered her slowly, giving her a moment to adjust before he gave one hard thrust and broke her barrier.

It was amazing…indescribable…but it hurt. It hurt a lot. Jamie let out a small whimper and stared into Landon's eyes until the pain subsided, when she pressed her lips to his, letting him know she was okay. He thrust once, making sure she was alright before he reached down and gently stroked the place where they were connected.

Baby tonight is your night  
And I will do you right  
Just make a wish on your night  
Anything that you ask  
I will give you the love of your life

They were no longer just Landon and Jamie. Right now, they were some sort of LandonJamie being – they were completely together. Jamie's cries of pleasure mixed with Landon's as they started to move as one.

With each thrust, Jamie could feel Landon going deeper and deeper, until she felt a white-hot streak of lightening rip through her body. She dug her fingernails into the skin of Landon's back as she let out a silent scream, biting his shoulder to keep from losing all control. He winced slightly, but soon forgot about that pain as he felt himself start to release. Landon quickly thrust three more times into Jamie's soft heat and he spilt his seed into her. Exhausted, he fell on his side next to her and turned his head to look at Jamie. Landon's heart melted when she gave him a soft smile and pulled herself up so she could rest her head on his stomach.

"Landon?" she asked innocently.

"Yeah, baby?" He ran his fingers through her hair.

"I love you, too."

I'll make love to you  
Like you want me to  
And I'll hold you tight  
Baby all through the night  
I'll make love to you  
When you want me to  
And I will not let go  
Till you tell me to


	6. It Just Takes Some Getting Used To

Chapter 5

Sunlight poured through the partially opened curtains of the hotel suite, and the digital alarm clock that sat on the nightstand read 12:30.

Jamie and Landon lay in bed together, wrapped in each other's arms. Landon's strong arms held Jamie close, and her head rested on his chest. Landon's eyes fluttered opened and he panicked for just a second when he realized that he was laying in bed with Jamie…in the nude…and he jolted awake he remembered about yesterday. He'd married Jamie yesterday…he'd made love to Jamie yesterday.

'_Wow,'_ he thought as he looked over at her and huge smile covered his face. Landon reached his hand up to Jamie's face and his thumb stroked her cheek lovingly.

Jamie woke up to the feeling of someone watching her, but it wasn't in a creepy way. She could feel the love and happiness that was radiating from the person. Then, it hit her – it was Landon. She opened her eyes to find him staring into them, studying her intently, his own eyes filled with lust and passion.

"Hey, baby," he said as he leaned in for a passionate kiss. He pulled away and smiled brightly.

"Hey, handsome," she said shyly as she ran her hand through his dark hair.

Landon felt his heart skip a beat. She'd never, ever called him anything like that. He leaned in for another kiss and he felt overcome with emotions.

"Are you okay?" Landon asked, resting his hand on Jamie's bare lower back. He was concerned, and with every right. When they had talked after they'd made love the night before – the infamous "pillow-talk" – Jamie had actually started crying, and Landon wasn't sure if it was from pure happiness or if she'd been emotional over losing her virginity, something no one could imagine her losing.

She smiled at him, beaming with pure ecstasy as she said, "I'm great. … Landon, last night was amazing. I'm so glad we waited for each other. I mean, I can't imagine a more perfect moment of our lives together. I'm so happy I was able to give you a priceless gift and be able to have you give me yours to me in return. So, yeah, I'm definitely feeling just about perfect right now." She smiled. "Besides feeling a little sore," and she burst out into laughter, joining his in a harmonious duo.

"Baby, you took the words right out of my mouth," he smiled slyly, "except for that last part." She giggled softly as he squeezed his arms even tighter around her.

She really didn't want this moment to end, but when Jamie turned and looked at the clock, she knew they had to get out of bed before it got dark again. "Landon, do you know what time it is?"

He snuggled closer to her, if that was even possible. "Do you know that I don't care?" he answered playfully.

"Landon, we've gotta get up," Jamie replied, making absolutely no movement or attempt to do so.

"Who says?" Landon leaned in for another kiss, and didn't pull away. He just wanted to taste her sweetness. And he didn't care if it sounded dumb when he said that it seemed like her taste was even sweeter now that she was his wife. Now that they had been together in the most physical and emotionally connecting way, Landon felt as though he had fallen in love with Jamie all over again. In one moment, she had become his life, his world, and his reason for getting out of bed every morning, which, ironically, was what she wanted him to do now. "I mean, we could just lie here together all day. Or, we don't have to lie here, if you don't want…" Landon grinned evilly as he nuzzled her neck and began to plant light kisses all up and down it, before reaching her lips and kissing her feverishly.

She pulled away just long enough to say, "You're right…" before she kissed him back with as much lust as she could muster. Jamie couldn't help but feel weak in the knees at the thought of being with Landon again. Last night, she had not only seen his beauty, but she had fully experienced it, too. She couldn't wait for it to happen again, either.

* * *

An hour later, the two newlyweds finally decided to drag themselves out of bed. They sat up, and tried to take in their settings.

The room that had been a romantic haven for Landon and Jamie the night before seemed…different…in the morning light. Oh, who were they kidding? It was one hell of a mess. All of the candles had burned all the way down, leaving puddles of wax all over the tables they were sitting on. The rose petals were no longer just on the tables, floor, and bed. Somehow, they had managed to creep into the bathroom, onto the windowsill, and a few were even floating in the bucket of "ice" that had been holding the bottle of sparkling grape juice, which was now melted into a pool of water. Landon and Jamie had thought that they'd done a pretty good job with keeping all of the clothes in the same general area on the floor, but apparently not. Socks, a pair of cotton underwear, boxers, a shirt, a bra, a pair of pants, a jacket, and a simple white dress all lay all over the floor of the rather large hotel suite.

In other words, it was going to take forever to clean up.

Landon looked at Jamie and just started cracking up. His happiness mixed with the way the room looked had sent him into a laughing fit. He had to hold his sides so they wouldn't hurt from him laughing. He finally managed to say, "So, what do you want for breakfast? I'll have them bring room service…" and picking up the phone.

"Get whatever you want…I'm going to go take a shower." Jamie stood up, but not before grabbing a nearby towel and wrapping it around herself. Granted, this was Landon, her husband, but she couldn't help the uncomfortable feeling she felt from being naked around him. It was all going to take a little bit of time to get used to, she figured.

"Okay, baby, I'll just call downstairs, then."

Landon watched her walk across the room and into the bathroom, peeking her head back around the corner to ask, "Aren't you going to join me?"

That's all it took for Landon to say, "Screw breakfast," and run to join Jamie in the shower. He loved just looking at her beauty – beauty she didn't even realize she had. But just because she didn't realize she had it didn't mean Landon was going to miss out on it, and a shower seemed perfect for him to get to know even more of her.


	7. Last Night Worries

Chapter 6

The week had gone by fast. Way too fast, actually. To both Landon and Jamie, it seemed like they had just said 'I do,' and now they were already going to be heading home to face the wrath of their parents. They knew their parents weren't going to be pleased with what they had done, so it was going to take some major explaining. But that wasn't something that either of them wanted to think about on the last night of their honeymoon.

Landon and Jamie walked down the cobblestone street of historic Boston, taking in some of the sights on their last night in town. It was seven thirty, and Jamie was starving. She couldn't speak for Landon, but she assumed that he was just as hungry as she was. As usual, they walked hand-in-hand, but now they each had a band resting on the third finger of their left hand.

Jamie spotted a small, hole-in-the-wall Italian restaurant up ahead, and she stopped walking. Landon looked back at her as she said, "You hungry?"

"Kinda, baby. Why?" He walked over to her and planted a light kiss on her cheek. "Are you?"

She just gave him a needn't-be-explained Jamie look and said, "Yeah, I'm starving!" playfully before she grabbed hold of his hand and practically took off running towards the restaurant.

Landon opened the door for Jamie and they walked inside, only to be greeted by an overly plump woman with gray hair piled high on top her head in a bun. She wore an apron and was holding a dishtowel in her hand. Her thick Italian accent was extremely apparent as she said, "Ah! Newlyweds! In my restaurant! How exciting!"

Landon was in absolute amazement. "How did you know?"

She gave him a playful swat on the arm. "How did I know? It's all in the eyes. Your eyes are sparkling with love! Only newlyweds have that look. So, tell me, how long have you been married?"

Jamie and Landon looked at each other, smiling, as Jamie replied, "Six days."

"Six days? Oh, follow me! I'll give you the best seats in the house." They were led through the small eatery to a secluded table towards the back of the restaurant. The lighting was dim, and created a very cozy and romantic atmosphere. She pulled out Landon and Jamie's chairs and before they had even sat all the way down, she asked, "So, what will it be?" She was way too excited.

"Umm…" Landon looked at Jamie for some help, and they replied in unison, "Hawaiian pizza."

"Fantastic choice! Would you like anything to drink?"

Landon replied, "Cherry Coke, please." He usually didn't drink a lot of soda, but it sounded so good to him. Apparently, soda sounded good to Jamie, too.

"I'll have a Sprite, if it wouldn't be too much trouble."

"Not at all, my dear, not at all. Your pizza should be ready in about twenty-five minutes or so, and I'll be right back with your drinks."

They held hands over the table and just talked. They talked about everything, from how fast the week had gone by to what they were going to tell their parents and where they were going to live until graduation. School would be out in a month, but luckily, they were on spring break right now, so Landon and Jamie weren't missing out on any school. The day after they got back, though, they had to go back, and Landon wasn't exactly looking forward to it. How was he going to explain this to his friends? They didn't even approve of him and Jamie _dating_. How were they going to react to marriage? He didn't even want to think about it, at least for now. Right now all he wanted to focus on was Jamie, who had stopped talking about the different possibilities of living arrangements and was staring at her husband questioningly.

"What's on your mind?" she asked sweetly, running her thumb across the backside of his hand gently. She always knew when something was bothering him, when something just wasn't right, and Landon loved that. And he also loved that whenever she would ask him what was wrong, her way of asking was never prying or forceful, it just invited him to share his thoughts, and only if he wanted to. Landon was grateful that he had such a constant in his life, so it pained him to think about when he wouldn't have that anymore.

"Oh, nothing, baby. I was just thinking about what my friends are gonna have to say about this. You know that I don't really give a crap about what they think, but it's gonna be hard not to listen, you know? Especially Dean. It's not so much about what they'll say about me, but what they say about you. I just don't want to see you get hurt. I love you so much, baby…" His head dropped down for a split second, but just as quickly, Landon's head came up and his eyes locked on Jamie's. They simultaneously stood up and leaned over the table slightly, but just enough to be able to reach one another's lips.

His lips held the faint taste of cherries, but Jamie soon forgot about that as she felt his tongue against her lips, practically begging for entrance. She opened her mouth slightly, and almost lost control when she felt Landon nibble softly on her lower lip just before his tongue slid into her mouth.

She tasted amazing, not like anything in particular, just Jamie, and that was probably Landon's favorite taste in the world. He couldn't wait to go back to the hotel and…

No. He had to stop thinking about that, because it was causing him a certain type of strain in a certain place. He pulled away from Jamie reluctantly, opening his eyes to meet hers. "Baby, you're driving me crazy tonight…"

"Me? What did I do?" She feigned surprise and innocence.

Just about that time, their pizza was brought back by a short girl with jet black hair, probably twenty-five-years-old or so. She greatly resembled the woman who had greeted them earlier, and her relation was confirmed when she said apologetically, "I'm really sorry about my mom. She can get a little crazy sometimes. Enjoy the pizza and let me know if you need anything."

"Thank you," said Landon. "And really, it's totally fine about earlier."

* * *

The elevator doors opened with a 'ding' and Landon and Jamie stepped off on the second floor and headed straight to their room. They wanted as much time as possible together before they had to leave in the morning. Besides, it was still early, and since they still didn't know if they were going to be staying with one of their parents, both Landon and Jamie figured they'd try to get as much "lovin'" in as they could, in case they wouldn't be able to for awhile.

They climbed into bed, Landon in plaid blue pajama pants and Jamie in a white tank top nightgown, and snuggled in close to each other.

"Baby, I love you so much…"

"You have no idea," responded Jamie, kissing him deeply. She rolled Landon over onto his back as she sat up and straddled him, settling herself right below his ribcage. She leaned down to place kisses up his torso before landing on his lips. It was going to be a long night between husband and wife…


	8. Going Home

Chapter 7

Landon pulled slowly into the driveway of the house he had called home for the past eighteen years of his life. Jamie could sense he was hesitant about stopping by to talk to his mom. Jamie had called ahead and asked if it would be okay if they came by on the long drive home, and Cynthia had seemed more than willing to talk to them. Happy, even. It had eased Jamie's apprehension, but only slightly, and it hadn't even fazed Landon. He'd lived with his mom long enough to know that she never really acted how she was feeling, especially when she was angry or upset.

Landon put the car in park, turned off the ignition, and opened his door. He walked to the other side of the car and opened the door for Jamie, taking her hand. They made their way up the porch steps to the front door, both of their hearts beating fast.

Jamie rang the doorbell and squeezed Landon's hand gently, letting him know that everything was going to be okay. Cynthia opened the door, squealing with happiness and excitement when she saw her son and his wife. She grabbed both of them in a group hug as she shrieked, "Oh, I'm so glad you're back!"

Landon couldn't believe it, but he answered, "Yeah, we're happy to be back. Boston was great, but we're tired of living out of a suitcase."

They were ushered inside and were urged to sit down while Cynthia ran into the kitchen to pour three glasses of fresh iced tea. She came back and they talked for a while, until Landon couldn't take it anymore. He had to know why she was in such a good mood.

"Mom, as much as I hate to ask, why are you so thrilled about this when just a couple days ago, you were totally opposed to this?" He smiled. "Not that I'm complaining or anything. I was just wondering."

Cynthia sat for a minute, considering the question. She hadn't even asked herself this yet. Why had she been so angry with them? And why was she now practically jumping for joy? "...Landon, Jamie. I want you to understand that I love you both very much, but that night, I was completely shocked, to say the least. I mean, I couldn't imagine that my little boy was getting married. That he'd be leaving me to start a life of his own with a woman, I might add, that he loves more than life itself. I couldn't seem to figure out where all the years had gone. But on top of all that, I didn't want to see him get hurt. I knew how hard it was to _voluntarily_ break off my marriage to your father, Landon, and I knew it be even harder for you. You still love Jamie, like I didn't with your father, and your marriage was going to be ended with or without your approval. I didn't want him to have to deal with that type of pain, even though deep down, I knew he'd go through it whether you got married or not." Landon and Jamie both noticed the tears that had begun to form in the corners of her eyes. "So, to answer your question, I think I've come to the realization that no matter what happens, you're both still going to love each other exactly the same. I found that hard to believe, because I never had that in my life, and it was difficult to think that my eighteen-year-old son had found true love before I did." She smiled sadly, taking her hands and covering Landon's and Jamie's with them. "Take care of each other, and let me know if you need anything. I know you'll be very happy together, and remember that you're very fortunate to have each other."

They sat and talked for a few more hours, Cynthia beyond thrilled. She seemed to be on cloud nine. She gave them their wedding gift, which turned out to be a nice leather sofa from her and Worth that they could put in their living room.

Around 4:30, Jamie suggested that they go to her father's house to talk to him. Cynthia insisted that it was perfectly okay -- she had some laundry to do and still had to go get groceries before the store closed -- even though Jamie maintained that it was rude. She gave Landon and Jamie huge, matching hugs, sending them on their way.

They drove down Grove Street, past all of the old Victorian houses until they arrived at their destination. The large, yellow-with-white-trim house stared back at them, almost as if it were daring them to enter. Landon pulled into the driveway as he had done so many times before, but the only time he had ever felt this kind of nervousness when coming here was when he picked up Jamie for their first date. Lately, he had felt extremely welcomed here, but all of a sudden, he knew Hegbert wouldn't be too happy to see him here. On the contrary, actually.

Jamie rang the doorbell and a few minutes later, Reverend Sullivan opened the door groggily. His eyes went wide at the sight that greeted him. "Jamie!" he exclaimed, grabbing her and hugging her tightly. He pulled away from her, looking her over with a small smile...almost a smirk.

Jamie looked at Landon and he almost laughed at her 'Dear God, he knows!' look, referring to their previous..."together-ness". "How are you, daddy?"

"I'm great...here, come in and have a seat." He moved away from the opening of the doorway and led his daughter and new son-in-law into the quaint living space. Sitting down, he looked upon them, pondering whether or not to ask the inevitable. He decided in favor of it.

"How was the trip?"

"Great, actually," Landon answered, glancing down at the floor before looking up again, but at Jamie. Anything to keep his eyes off of his father-in-law, who he knew was staring right at him. "We had a great time."

"That's...wonderful. I'm glad."

Jamie looked at her father, completely stumped. His reaction wasn't exactly bad, per se, but it wasn't exactly good, either. "Daddy, what's wrong?"

Hegbert chuckled before answering. "Oh, nothing at all. It's just...don't you guys think this is a little awkward? I mean, the last time we had a conversation, you too were dead-set on getting married, and you just sort of ran away. I knew you'd come back and everything, but now I have to say that I'm pretty humiliated with what I said. Landon, I know how much you love my daughter, and that you just want to be with her, but I can't help but worry about you. Thinking about what it'll be like for you in a year or so, well, that makes me so sad."

Landon looked baffled. "Why, sir?"

"I can't help but see a little bit of myself in you, Landon. Especially when it comes to Jamie. I didn't want you to have to go through the same pain I did when Jamie's mother died, you know? Marriage should be one of the happiest, most joyful times of your lives, but instead of being able to _plan_ a future for yourselves, you're praying for a miracle just to have the opportunity to get that future. I wouldn't wish that on anybody. Not even you, Landon..." he chuckled softly.

The rest of their time together was spent discussing the small details, like where they would live and how they were going to pay for the little necessities, like food and water. Landon still had quite a bit of money left over from his father's child support checks, they just had to decide what to put it towards.

They left Hegbert's a little while later, driving over to the nearest hotel and checking in, happy to be back home, even if they weren't exactly _home_. The only thing that Landon and Jamie were sure of was their love for each other and the fact that their parents were behind them. They just hoped that would be enough...

* * *

A/N: I know, I know. This chapter was not my best writing. I really struggled with characterization and what Cynthia and Hegbert's reactions would be. But, I'm trying to get over my terrible case of writer's block, and the best way for me to get over it is to just keep writing through it, even if it does sound stupid and maybe even juvenile. I just didn't want you guys to have to wait forever for a new chapter. Please be kind with reviews!

And in your review, please let me know if you think I should continue through the summer (where lots of surprises will happen!), or if I should end it with the next chapter. You can also email me at with any other requests or ideas. Let me know! I write mainly for myself, but I like my readers to be happy, too. Thanks!

--shanlover89


	9. Author's Note

Author's Note:

Oh my god, guys, I'm so sorry for not updating! First, my computer was having a brain fart and wouldn't work, and then finals week came up and I got so busy that I didn't even have time to sleep, let alone write. Then, the computer got messed up _again_! What luck. Anyways, I'll be updating this story within the next couple days, I promise. Don't think I've abandoned it, because it's still on the front burner. Thank you to all who have reviewed! It makes me so happy when people love my writing, and I'm extremely excited to say that I _will_ be continuing the story on through the summer. So, now for personal thank-you's:

shana78: I'm glad you're enjoying the story. As for your question about Jamie dying, well, I guess you'll just have to wait and see! You rock!

butterflyswest: I really appreciate your kind reviews and I'm happy that you're enjoying this story. You're a great writer, and it means a lot to me to have you like my writing. Thanks again!

moshimoshi: Your great reviews keep on making my day, so thanks so much! I'm honored that you think I'm so talented. Rock on!

nikkitan89: Truthfully, I didn't think the speeches were that good at all, but I felt a lot better about them after your review! Thanks again!

Amber: I totally understand what you're saying and I thank you that you think I do such a great job writing their story together. I guess its just that I'm a total romantic at heart. Your reviews made my day.

jeytonlover: Oh, I'm taking them on some wild adventures, so be prepared! LOL. Thanks again!

rlmont91: I'm happy that you're loving this story. I'll try to make it as good as some of the other AWTR summer fics! Thank you so much for your encouraging words!

Moll917: I love you, girl! Thanks! You know its my passion! See you this summer (OMG! We're upperclassmen!)

Unconscious-Regret: Your reviews crack me up! I love how you took "lovin'" from the story and put it into the review! Clever! Thanks, you're awesome!

boltonmontez: I think we all love Landon and Jamie! Anyhoo, thanks again for the review!

So, I guess that's just about it. I try to get a few more chapters out before the end of the week to make up for that extremely ridiculous wait! Once again, I apologize and I hope people are still reading. If you are, I will love you forever!

Thanks, guys, for listening to me ramble for a page!

shanelover89


	10. Back to School

Chapter 8

Monday. What an awful way to spend 1/7th of your life. But, here it was, Monday, and spring break had officially ended in Beaufort, North Carolina. Landon and Jamie slept in each other's arms, snuggled into the heavy blankets of the hotel room they were staying in until they found somewhere to live.

They were both jolted awake by the annoying buzzing of the alarm clock that was standard in any hotel. It was 6:30, and time for them to get up for school. Both Landon and Jamie thought it was hilarious and absolutely ironic that here they were, married, but they still had to go to school. They were seniors, though, and there was only a little over a month left before they graduated.

Landon rolled out of bed first, but not before leaning in and giving Jamie a gentle kiss just below her hairline. She smiled up at him. "'Morning. How'd you sleep?"

"Pretty good, baby. Wanna get a shower with me?" He already knew the answer, but he just loved hearing her agree. In the week and a half that they'd been married, it had become tradition for them to get a shower together every morning. Landon thought it was the most brilliant way in the world to wake up, and he enjoyed every minute with his wife in the hot, steamy stall.

"Okay, Mr. Carter. Let's go." Landon bent down and picked her up, carrying her into the small bathroom and setting her down on the cool tile. He kissed her full on the lips, which wasn't unusual at all, but the spontaneity of it left Jamie breathless. "Well, a little eager this morning, are we?" she countered as soon as the initial shock had worn off.

"You bet," Landon responded with a smirk. Without another thought, he pulled Jamie's nightgown over her head and dropped it on the floor. He waited while she ran her fingers along the waistband of his boxers, teasing him until she got the effect she wanted – the evidence of his arousal straining against the thin fabric of his boxers. She grinned and finally grabbed hold of them, pulling them down slowly and taking Landon's member in her hand, stroking it gently. Landon yanked back the shower curtain, eager to step into the warmth of the spraying mist.

As soon as the curtain had been closed again, Landon looked towards Jamie. Her cheeks were flushed, a look he'd come to love and expect whenever they were close. Landon bent down and kissed her passionately on her full lips, and almost came right then and there when she gently took his bottom lip in her teeth and nibbled oh so lightly.

"Baby, you're driving me crazy this morning…" he said breathily when they has separated. She just smiled at him.

"Good…"

* * *

By the time they had finished up in the shower, it was nearing 7:00 and school was due to start in half an hour. Jamie was pretty low-maintenance when it came to getting ready for school, so she was ready long before Landon. By the time she was waiting in the car for him, he was just starting on his hair. She gave up on waiting after five minutes and went back inside. "Landon, are you almost ready? We're gonna be late."

"Just a minute. My hair won't go right." He stood in front of the mirror, fiddling with a piece of his hair, the rest already gelled and ready to go.

"Landon, who cares?" Jamie said, laughing. "Who do you have to impress? You've already got me!" she added, jokingly. He looked back at her with a smile.

"You're right, baby. Let's go."

They arrived at school five minutes before the bell, found a parking place, and made their way inside, hand-in-hand. They had first period together, so that was definitely a plus for both of them. They went to Landon's locker first. He opened it and a few loose papers came flying out like normal.

"I really need to clean this thing out," he said subconsciously.

Jamie laughed. "I hope you're better at keeping a house clean and organized than you are with keeping your locker that way…"

Landon just smirked and gave her a kiss, answering, "So, Mrs. Carter, you think yours is so much better? Let's go have a look." Landon grabbed the rest of the books he needed and Jamie took hold of his free hand, leading the way to her locker, which was right outside of their first period.

She opened it up and true to Landon's suspicion, it looked exactly the opposite of his. Everything was stacked neatly on locker shelves and she even had a small mirror on the door. Jamie smiled up at him. "I think I win."

Landon grabbed Jamie and squeezed her playfully, whispering in her ear, "I'll give you your prize tonight…" Before Jamie could respond, the thirty second bell rang, alerting them to make their way across the near-deserted hallway to physics. "We'll finish this later," he said, taking her hand and stepping into the classroom. They sat down next to each other and set down their books, not noticing that nearly every student in the class was looking at them expectantly. The bell rang and Mr. Dudman walked in, ready to start class.

"So, back to school, already? Some of you may still have spring daydreams on your minds, including me, who still dreams of lounging on the beaches of Hawaii…"

Jamie and Landon looked at each other and exchanged silent laughs. Mr. Dudman had always been a pretty cool guy, but neither Jamie nor Landon were happy about being back at school, especially this class. It was going to be one long month. Probably the longest one of their entire lives.

* * *

Much to Landon's surprise, his friends took the news of he and Jamie's marriage quite well. Well, all except Belinda, but what could you expect? Eric and Dean were the one's Landon had been most worried about, and they had actually seemed the happiest for him. Maybe, Landon hoped, they had all finally grown up a little.

It was 3:00, and they all sat around a large table at a nearby diner, exchanging spring break stories. A couple of Eric's had gotten a little out of hand, and Landon had had to give him more than a few looks to remind him that Jamie was there, too, regarding his language and some of the explicit content of his tales. Jamie had been a good sport, though, and laughed along with the rest of the group. It seemed to her and Landon that his friends had finally accepted her.

"So, how was it in Boston?" Tracy asked, sipping her thick chocolate milkshake.

"A little warm, but nice for the most part," replied Landon, sliding his arm around Jamie's waist and pulling her against him. "We didn't get to see much of it…" he added jokingly.

Jamie gave him the most astounded look in the world until she realized he was just kidding, when she hit him playfully on the shoulder and said, exasperated, "What am I gonna do with you, Carter?"

"Gee, I dunno, _Carter_." He was finally able to get her back with her own game.

"Touche…" responded Jamie, leaning in for a light kiss. She was having the most fun she'd had in a long time, and she didn't want it to end, but she had a lot of homework and she was so tired. All she wanted to do was sleep. Jamie sat there for a few more minutes, leaning against Landon's shoulder, before she said, "Landon, came we go? I really don't feel that good."

"Sure, baby. Are you okay?" Landon asked, genuinely concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just a little tired." Jamie stood up and as she swung her purse over her shoulder, she added, "Thanks, everyone. We had a really great time, and I'm sorry for cutting it short."

They all assured her that it was completely fine, and after everyone had exchanged hugs, Landon and Jamie went out to the car and went home. When they arrived, Jamie went straight to bed and slept for the rest of the night. She didn't know for sure what was making her so tired, but she had a pretty good idea…


	11. Graduation Day

Chapter 9

Graduation day. What two words put together could mean more freedom, independence, and anticipation for what lay ahead?

These were the thoughts that ran through Landon's head as he zipped up his robe and looked into the full length mirror of he and Jamie's room. In the two weeks they had been home, they had already managed to find a house and move in, with the help of their parents, of course. It was nothing extravagant -- a small, one-story house with two bedrooms, a bathroom, a living room, and a kitchen. To anyone else, it may not have even been regarded as special, but to Landon and Jamie, it represented everything they didn't have -- a future, and above all, hope. They both found it so hard knowing that they probably wouldn't even spend the rest of the summer together, let alone a whole year. Yet, their love never swayed. Landon woke up every morning even more in love than the day before, and Jamie had never seemed healthier. Landon thought lately she even looked like she had a glow about her. This didn't exactly surprise him, because she was always the most beautiful person in the world, according to him, but with her impending death and quickening deterioration, Landon hadn't expected her to look so lively, but he took it with gratitude. In fact, he took everyday he got with her gratefully. Today was no different, at least in that aspect, but they both had something bigger on their minds. Today they were officially done with high school. While others would probably miss the social and fun portion of high school, Landon and Jamie were more than ready to be done. Why? Because unlike any of their other classmates, they had each other and couldn't wait to spend all of their time together, enjoying the time they had left.

Landon took one look at himself in the mirror and smiled. _'You're done, buddy. You've waited for this for thirteen years of your life and now that it's here, look at you. You're gonna miss it.'_ Jamie walked out of the bathroom and over to him, wrapping her wet arms around his built torso from behind.

"Whatcha thinkin' about?" she asked as she lay her head on his shoulder.

"Nothing. Just that I might actually be a little sad that I won't be back there after today. I know I always acted like I hated it, but for the most part, I liked going to school. How else do you think I got perfect attendance all four years?" he laughed. "As much as I'm glad that we get to start a _real _life together, I'm kinda sad to see this chapter of our lives close."

Jamie looked into his eyes through the mirror and replied, "But we'll start writing a new one today, and the best part that is that we'll be writing it together." She leaned towards him and he turned around, planting his lips on her own.

"You're right. I love you, baby."

"I love you, too, but I've gotta get ready or we're gonna be late."

Just then, the phone rang, causing both of them to jump slightly. "I'll get it," Landon said, making his way towards the end table. Picking up the phone, he answered. "Hello?"

The conversation had just begun, but by the tone in Landon's voice, she knew exactly who it was. It had to be Dr. Peterson. The concern and anxiety present in Landon's voice confirmed it. The conversation was short, and Jamie already knew what the doctor wanted. He had the results of one of her latest tests and wanted her to come in to give it to her. Less than two minutes had passed and the conversation already seemed to be wrapping up.

"Okay, thanks Dr. Peterson. We'll be in a little later. Bye." Landon hung up and walked back over to Jamie.

"What did the doctor want?" Jamie asked, looking up into Landon's eyes. She already knew, but she asked just to humor Landon, who didn't know she'd had the test done at all.

"He just wanted me to let you know that he wants to reschedule your appointment for next week for today after the ceremony. He didn't really say why, though. Something about some sort of test results..." All of a sudden, it hit him. "...Jamie, do you need to tell me anything?"

She hadn't wanted to tell him until she knew for sure, and when the time was right. This moment was neither of the two. Jamie didn't want to keep this sort of news from him, but right now was not the time to let him in on her little secret...something that would alter the rest of their lives together.

She decided to tell him exactly that. "Landon, I do, but I can't tell you yet. What I can tell you is that it's the reason Dr. Peterson called us in early and that it's one of the most important things we'll ever go through." She leaned in and gave him a peck on the lips, adding, "And it really does hurt me not to be able to share something with you, but I promise you'll find out as soon as I do for sure."

Landon didn't understand. They'd always been able to talk about everything, but now, for some reason unbeknownst to him, Jamie couldn't tell him what was on her mind. It was obviously something huge, something having to do with her health, but she'd promised to tell him soon, and for Landon, that was good enough, because he loved her more than life itself. "It's okay, baby. I love you. Tell me whenever you're ready." He wrapped his arms around her, hugging her while leaning down and whispering in her ear, "But, in the meantime, you may want to get ready for graduation..." He laughed, and Jamie breathed a huge sigh of relief. He'd accepted this, but she also realized that by the end of the day, he was going to have to understand and accept something so much bigger.

* * *

There was a light breeze and the sun was shining brightly. It was a beautiful day for a graduation. As Jamie stood up on the stage, giving her valedictorian speech, Landon felt nothing but love.

He'd never been so proud of anything or anyone in his entire life, actually.

"Hello fellow graduates, friends, and family. Let me set the scene for you: August 27, 1992: Colossal corridors and mammoth Seniors greeted our frightened Freshmen shells. Though we clung desperately to our remaining drops of confidence from the pinnacle of eighth grade, they evaporated under the sheer intensity of high school. We dared not poke our unprotected heads out to view this new realm, too terrified of who or what we might find. Some of us, it seemed, feared our strange surroundings would swallow us whole. Fortunately, curiosity overpowered even the most paralyzing insecurity, and slowly we prodded our boundaries, cautiously testing our skills and talents. We joined clubs and teams that matched our abilities, carving a circle of compassionate friends from the once-distant swarm. And backed by the support of these caring allies, we settled into the routine of adolescence."

"Until someone uttered those eight terrifying words: 'What will you be when you grow up?' Of course, we had first been introduced to this ambiguous question while still in diapers, but always had brushed it aside with the thought, 'I'll decide later.' High school, we discovered, was later. So we embarked on the tedious process of inventing our dreams. We scoured the career center, hounded our counselors, pestered our parents and teachers. We pleaded with friends to answer in our stead. Certainly, we knew it was our decision, but we had to try to get out of it, right? Make someone else decide."

"But there is one instant in everyone's life when they explode from beneath that Xeroxed shroud of 'General Public' and slip into the shimmering gown of 'Individualism.' Soon we understood that to find our passions we must step beyond the tight, comfortable confines or our abilities. We were forced to expose ourselves once more to the vulnerability of trial and error. But this time, as we delved into unfamiliar activities, we had the self-assurance to attempt the experiment. And so, amid the swirling waters of high school, backed by constant guidance from faculty, parents, and peers, we gradually formulated a future. Our future."

"With the solid promise of life beyond graduation, the threatening corridors waned to reality, and we became those mammoth Seniors. Funny, I don't feel so mammoth, do you? But I know that we possess the courage and power to conquer our well-planned -- though yet unknown -- destiny. No one deserves more pride and respect than the Class of 1996. We've earned it. So, congratulations, graduates, we couldn't have done it without each other."

To say that the crowd exploded into applause would be a total understatement. It was more like they spontaneously combusted, but either way, the noise didn't die down for quite some time. Jamie made her way down off of the stage, making her way through the first row of graduates to take her seat next to Landon in the second row.

'_It's funny,'_ she thought. _'Two months ago and I would've been sitting in one of the last ones...'_

She sat down, a huge smile plastered on her face as Landon leaned in and kiss her deeply, letting her know how proud of her he was just as the applause slowly quieted.

Within minutes, graduates had started receiving their diplomas, and it wasn't long before Landon and Jamie had theirs, also.

* * *

After the ceremony, Jamie and Landon had been invited over to Cynthia's for a celebration barbeque. Worth and Hegbert had also been invited, and everyone sat out back on the porch, enjoying the large assortment of food.

"So, Landon, Jamie...where are you going to be living now that school's out?" Worth asked as he took a bite of potato salad.

"Well," Landon answered, swallowing. "We've been looking at this place over on Ann Street. It's just over 1200 feet, with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. We both really like it," he said, looking over at Jamie and smiling.

"Well, it sounds great," Cynthia said.

They talked of inconsequential things, just enjoying each others' company. This had been the first time that "the family" had gotten together for anything, and both Landon and Jamie had to admit that they absolutely loved it.

A little while into the meal, Landon looked over at Jamie, who had hardly eaten a thing. "Are you feeling okay, baby?" Landon asked, a little worried. She usually ate more than this.

"Yeah," Jamie answered, forcing a smile. "Just a little queasy."

That explained it. The doctor had told them to expect a little nauseousness in the next few months, caused mainly by Jamie's new medication. "Okay, if you say so," Landon said, leaning in a giving her a kiss on her right cheek.

"Can I get you a Sprite and crackers or something to settle your stomach?" Cynthia asked, already moving as if to get up from the table.

"No, really, I'm fine. You don't need to worry about me...it's fine."

"Well, okay, honey. If you're sure."

They finished their meal and had dessert in the living room. When they were done, it was already getting a little late, and Jamie wanted to get home in time for her doctor's appointment at 5:00. "Landon, do you think it's about time we leave?" she commented, tilting her head towards a nearby clock.

"Oh, yeah, we'd better go." He stood up and gave his mom a hug. "Mom, thanks so much for the meal, it was great. We really appreciate it."

"Oh, Landon, you know you're more than welcome. And I more than expect to see you here more often," she said, pulling him in for one last hug, whispering in his ear, "Landon, don't worry. I have this feeling that Jamie's absolutely fine..."

Jamie made her way over to her father as Landon said goodbye to Worth. Congratulations were given and Jamie and Landon went outside to his car. They waved goodbye as they drove off, drove off into the scariest unknown they'd ever had to face.

* * *

Landon was trying to wait patiently, but this was just so hard. Jamie had picked up a magazine and started thumbing through it, but Landon's mind just wouldn't stop wandering. A million thoughts rushed through his head at lightening speed as he tried to think of an explanation for Dr. Peterson bringing Jamie in a week early.

So far, he had come up with nothing.

"Jamie Carter?" the receptionist called out and Jamie stood up and followed her to a back room, Landon in tow.

They were about to find out that explanation, and neither could have been more ready.

A/N: Sorry, guys! I just had to stop it there. It was already getting a little long, and I figured you could wait for one more chapter to figure out the surprise!


	12. Believe It Or Not

Chapter 10

When Landon was asked to leave the exam room, he couldn't have been any more confused. Not only did he not have any idea what was going on with his wife, but he wasn't even allowed to stay and find out. He went back to the waiting room and started looking at a magazine, nearing tears.

Jamie came out about a half-hour later, and it was obvious that she'd been crying. She swung her purse over her shoulder and walked over to Landon, who had already stood up and was anxious to hear the news.

"What'd the doctor say?" he asked, taking her hand in his.

"Nothing much. He just wanted to tell me the results of my latest blood test." She was having trouble making eye-contact with Landon.

"And?"

"It was pretty expected. I knew what they were probably going to be."

Obviously, she didn't want to share. And as much as Landon wanted to know, he wanted Jamie to tell him in her own time. "Alright, let's get home..."

* * *

As Landon got ready for bed that night, he could've honestly said he was about to explode from nervousness. Whatever it was that Jamie wanted to tell him, it had to be huge. Why else would that doctor have asked him to leave the room? He walked out of the bathroom and over to the hotel bed, where Jamie was sitting up in bed, reading her Bible. Landon pulled back the covers and climbed in, flipping over to his side to look at Jamie.

"'Night, baby..."

Jamie leaned down and placed a soft kiss against his waiting lips. "Goodnight. I love you, Landon."

"I love you, too." Just as his head hit the pillow, it also hit something that...wasn't a pillow. He sat up and looked.

There was a card sitting there. With his name on it.

He looked at Jamie questioningly. "What's this?" he asked, picking it up.

She smiled. "Oh, nothing much. Just a little something for graduation."

Now he felt really bad -- he hadn't even gotten her anything. He leaned in for a passionate kiss and after they pulled away he responded, "Thank you."

"You're welcome...now open it," Jamie giggled.

"Okay," he said. Landon lifted the envelope flap and pulled the card out. All it had on the outside was a little red heart. He opened the card and was absolutely floored by what it said.

"Landon-

Everyday I'm amazed to find myself even more in love with you than the

day before. As we start on this new chapter of our lives together, I hope

you will always be able to find joy in our new little miracle of love.

All my love,

Jamie"

It was like the wind had been knocked right out of him. Landon read and re-read the card, trying to convince himself of its contents. When he looked over at Jamie for some sort of conformation, she was quiet, but slightly smiling, just enjoying watching his reaction to her news. "Jamie..."

The minute he said her name, her eyes began filling up with tears. Just watching her, Landon could feel his heart breaking. Any concerns or doubts he had were immediately pushed aside as he focused on his wife. "Jamie, baby, please don't cry."

Her voice was quivering as she struggled for the ability to speak. "Dr. Peterson¼wanted to speak to me alone today¼because he thought I should¼have an abortion and not tell you. ¼ He doesn't think¼I'll be able to hold on long enough¼to have the baby."

'_Some doctor! Oh, do I have a few words for him!'_ Landon gently rocked her, trying to get her to calm down. "What did you tell him?"

"I told him that¼having an abortion would be¼killing a piece of you¼a piece of me¼proof of just how much¼we love each other. ¼ He's sending me to¼see a specialist tomorrow."

Landon stroked her back, and said with a smile when her eyes met his, "A baby."

She managed to smile back through her tears. "Yeah..." Her head nuzzled in against Landon's neck, and he tightened his grasp. A tear dripped from her face, running warm on Landon's skin. "Thanks."

"For?"

"Thank you for the strength you've shown me. When I'm in your arms, I know that everything will always be okay, that nothing in this world can take me away from you." Her fingers ran up and down his chest lightly.

Landon didn't know how to reply – she was supposed to be _his_ rock, _his_ strength. Landon allowed his fingers to sweep over her features, swiping down the bridge of her nose and brushing up against her lips before reaching her delicate chin. "Well, I'm not letting go."

Hours passed, with Landon laying there listening to Jamie's gentle breaths, absorbing the beauty in each one. _'Lord, thank you for the strength you gave me tonight. Sometimes it seems so overwhelming – our path is changing around every turn. Please stay with us; guide us.' _With that, Landon slowly drifted off to sleep.


	13. Sharing the News

A/N: Last chapter, I didn't realize that weird "1/4" thing was there until after I posted it. It originally was "...", but my computer went retarded and made it "1/4". Sorry for the confusion, guys!

I'd also like to take this opportunity to once again thank all of you reviewers for your awesome words. They are really inspiring, and help me get the next chapter up that much faster. I know that sometimes I take forever and a day to update, so a big thanks goes out to those of you who have stuck with this story from the beginning. I will be forever grateful. Okay, let's get on with the story!

* * *

Song Credit: "If We Hold On Together" by Diana Ross

Chapter 11

Landon awoke at dawn, his mind running way too wild to go back to sleep. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of the card. It lay open, a mere ten inches away from him. Landon carefully pulled his arm out from under Jamie, trying his best not to wake her, and picked it up. He reread its words intently, amazed at how much a single phrase could change everything in the world, or at least, his world. "...our new little miracle of love..." Now, Landon could finally allow himself to take an inventory about how he felt about the news. He. Was. Scared. And he honestly didn't know what to do aobut it. _'Lord, what have I done? Am I ready for this? I feel so confused. I realize that this is a true blessing but I know I can't do this without Jamie.'_

Jamie shifted slightly and made a short, soft humming sound, like she did every morning. She'd wake up soon, and Landon chuckled, realizing that he already know her so well, even though they'd only been married five weeks.

'_Oh how I have come to look forward to that precious sound...God, I need your peace now more than ever...'_

"Hey," she sighed.

He lay the card back down on the end table, leaning in to kiss her. "Hey."

"How many times have you read that?" she asked when they pulled away. There was a calmness about her that surprised Landon, and she was smiling. Smirking, almost.

"So many that I've lost count..." Landon returned his arm to her back, embracing her.

"I'm sorry about last night." Jamie's eyes were glancing up to his. "I allowed my emotions to get the best of me, and I completely forgot to even ask how you were feeling about all of this..."

"No, no, no." Landon placed his fingers to her lips, bringing her words to a halt. "You had been through so much yesterday. You needed someone to confide in, and I felt honored that you chose me."

Jamie propped herself up on her elbow and glanced down upon her husband. "You went through a lot yesterday, too, you know, and you haven't had a chance to unburden your heart to anyone yet. What's going on in there?" She was tapping his chest, directly above his heart.

Landon sighed. "Jamie, I have never felt so confused. I keep having these overwhelming feelings of guilt, asking myself how I could have allowed this to happen to you. I feel like I failed you." Landon was having a hard time keeping eye contact with her -- he was so ashamed.

"Look at me, Landon. You will never fail me. It's not possible." Her voice was calm and sincere, pulling Landon's eyes back to hers.

They kissed, momentarily losing themselves in the moment until Jamie pulled back. "Wait a second! When you were feeling so guilty just a few minutes ago, what were you thinking? That God was on vacation that night?"

"Apparently, I wasn't thinking at all." He laughed, and Jamie joined in.

"So that's one direction. Any others?" Landon detected a bit of satisfaction in her voice - Jamie knew she had blown his reasoning out of the water.

"Well, on the other hand, I'm scared. There are so many unknowns, so many risks, and so many challenges that now lay ahead of us..." Tears had escaped from his eyes unwillingly.

Wiping them from Landon's face, Jamie interrupted. "Landon, I'm scared, too. But that doesn't mean we won't find a way to get through this. I mean, come on. Look at everything we've already had to overcome!" Jamie finished with a laugh, stroking his arm lovingly.

Landon let out a shaky breath. "What will I ever do without you to remind me?" The thought was almost unbearable to him.

Jamie lay back down along side of Landon, resting her arm across his chest. Her eyes focused in on his, and she sang.

"If we hold on together

I know our dreams will never die

Dreams see us through to forever Where clouds roll by For you and I

You and I."

The horrible thought left from his mind and he took a deep breath. "Thank you."

A few minutes passed, both Jamie and Landon just enjoying the comfort they felt in being close to each other. The silence held a serenity that both of them needed.

After a few more minutes, Landon spoke up. "Jamie?"

"Yeah?"

"You wanna know the one last thing I'm feeling?"

"Of course." Her fingers toyed with his hair as she stared deep into his eyes.

"There's this part of me that is in absolute awe of you." Jamie's eyes grew large in surprise while Landon continued. "There's a part of the two of us living and growing inside of you, and I can't wait to meet it." His hand caressed her stomach. "I know of nothing more miraculous. I feel so fortunate to be able to share this moment with you."

Jamie sighed in contentment, placing her hand atop of Landon's, telling him all he needed to know.

* * *

"Jamie, I'm just warning you, if this doctor asks me to leave, it's not going to be pretty," Landon informed her rather matter-of-factly.

They were sitting in the waiting room, awaiting her appointment. It was late in the afternoon and the receptionists and nurses were already leaving. Dr. Garrett, the specialist Dr. Peterson had referred them to, had been kind enough to schedule a last-minute appointment for the end of her day.

"Are you sure you want to even come back?" Landon didn't notice that she was joking.

Landon replied with complete seriousness. "Come on, Jamie. That's not even an option."

"Landon, I'm joking! Try to relax a little, okay? Everything'll be just fine..."

They both looked up to see a tall, thin woman standing in the hallway, watching them with a smile. "Jamie, Landon, it's nice to meet you." They joined Dr. Garrett in her office before she continued. "Dr. Peterson contacted me yesterday and let me know a little bit about your situation, but he has a way of dehumanizing things."

'_Dehumanizing - you're not kidding! What an understatement!'_ Landon mentally mumbled.

"Test results do give us a lot of information about disease progression and how the body is reacting to it, but they fail to reveal anything about the strength of the human spirit and the love that two people can share. Those two variables, in my opinion, are more important than any number of tests we can run. In that regard, you two are very well-off," Dr. Garrett said with quiet laughter.

Landon took hold of Jamie's hand and smiled at her, realizing that they were doing something right after all.

"However, you need to be aware that only 0.1 - 0.07 of new pregnancies occur in cancer patients." She shifted in her seat as she reached for a stack of paper.

"What are the risks involved?" Landon wanted to know exactly what they were facing.

Quickly bringing him back to reality, Dr. Garrett continued. "Jamie, I've done some research and your pregnancy does pose some risks to both you and the baby. During this first trimester, there is a greater chance of miscarriage. The body has great intuition; it will know if you are going to be able to handle the demands that are going to be placed on you. But if you can make it to term, I must be honest...it's hard to say if you will be able to make it through childbirth."

'_Miscarriage? ...Lord, I am just fully realizing how excited I am. Now I have to learn that the baby might be taken away from us? I don't know how I would be able to handle that - let alone how Jamie would. Moreover, what would I do with a new baby if I didn't have Jamie to share it with?...Where's the silver lining?'_

Everything around Landon became a blur, until Jamie brought him back into focus. "Dr. Peterson made it very clear to me that I might only have two or three months left. Do you think making it to term is a possibility?" Jamie said it without any signs of alarm, fully shocking Landon.

"Answer this one question: Do you want this baby?" Dr. Garrett leaned back in her chair, awaiting Jamie's answer.

Jamie smiled. Squeezing Landon's hand, she didn't take her eyes from his as she answered, "I want nothing more than to have this baby with the man I love. It seems like the perfect ending to my life."

Landon was left speechless as he stared back into her dark brown eyes with all the love he had.

"It looks like you have something to fight for then, doesn't it?" the doctor replied. A grin had returned to her face. "I'm going to want to run blood work every couple of weeks to monitor your leukemia on top of your normal visits, if that's alright with you. I want to make sure to keep a pulse on all aspects of your health during the pregnancy."

"Yeah, that's fine. ... I don't want to know any of the blood test results, though." Jamie's gaze was still upon Landon's.

"Why's that?" Landon had finally found his voice.

She winked at him. "I'm doing this with my faith and a lot of hope."

"Hope, huh?" He directed his attention to Dr. Garrett. "Same here."

She nodded. "Very well, then. I can't say that I can understand your decision, but I definitely respect it."

When they reached the car, Landon asked Jamie the question that had long-filled his mind. "Jamie, did any of that scare you?"

She sighed in thought, turning towards him. "No, I'm not afraid. There are uncertainties, obviously, but if we truly believe that God has His hands in our lives, then what good would fear do? I know that I must trust that He knows how to take care of this better than I do." Her hand traveled to Landon's face as she ran her fingers along his cheeks. "It was only a few years ago that my fear almost got in the way of the best thing that ever happened to me."

"What do you mean?"

"I was so afraid of letting anyone get close to me for fear that I would only cause them pain when I got sicker. If it wasn't for your persistence, my fears would have kept you out of my life. Now, when I think about all the happiness that I would have missed out on, it's obvious to me that fear doesn't help God's plan, but rather delays it." Her hands now rested on his shoulders.

"Jamie, I never would have given up on you." He leaned in, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. Leaning in towards her ear, Landon whispered, "You were so worth the fight."

They met midway, their lips joining and welcoming each other. They let all remaining reservations flow between them as they countered them with love, comforted in knowing that that was one thing they would always have enough of.

"There is one thing I am scared of, though, Landon." Her wide eyes were glancing at him with doubt.

"And what's that?" Landon ran his fingers through her hair in reassurance.

"I am scared of telling our parents." Jamie laughed, realizing that it had only been a few weeks previous where she had spoken those exact same words. _'Hopefully,'_ she thought, _'this time will be a little bit better reaction.'_

"I hadn't even thought of that yet," he groaned, resting his forehead on hers. "You don't think we can just play it cool and wait to tell them until after the baby's born? They can't hit us when there's a newborn baby between them and us."

She laughed, "It's going to be kind of hard to hide it in a few months once I start to show."

"A few months, huh? So what's the rush in telling?" Landon could just picture Jamie's father lunging at him, knowing all too well what they had done. The image sent shivers down his back. _'He's going to kill me!'

* * *

_

Getting the family together seemed to prove harder than either Landon or Jamie had expected. In fact, it had been practically impossible. By the time they had figured out how to get everyone together at once, it had already been a week since they found out about the baby.

The doorbell rang and Landon got up from the kitchen table to answer it. He looked through the small window in the door and realized it was his mom. As soon as he had opened the door, she practically ran inside.

"Hey, kids!" she said, already making her way over to the kitchen, carrying a casserole.

"Mom, you didn't have to bring anything..." Landon said, taking it from her. "_We_ invited _you_ to come over."

Cynthia smiled sweetly. "Yeah, I know, but I figured you guys were busy enough and I've had a little extra time on my hands since you left." She reached over and ruffled Landon's hair a bit. "So, where's Jamie?"

Landon pointed to the kitchen. "Right in there. She's been cooking all day..." he laughed.

Cynthia barely heard him -- she ran into the kitchen and gave Jamie a big hug. "Jamie, don't you have such a rosy glow about you today..."

Landon didn't hear another word of the conversation, because right at that moment, the doorbell rang again. Landon trotted over to answer the door, but had second thoughts when he saw who it was.

It was Reverend Sullivan.

Landon felt his heart start to race, and his palms started sweating, not sure if he'd be alive by the end of dinner. He decided to open the door and was relieved to see Hegbert in a good mood.

"Hi, Reverend, come in."

"Hello, Landon." He looked around. "Wow, you guys have done a lot with the house since the last time I was here."

Landon chuckled softly. "That's all Jamie's doing, Sir."

"I figured," he laughed. "I never saw you as an interior decorator, Landon. Now I find out I was right..."

Soon after, Jamie came out from the kitchen and wrapped her arms around her father, squeezing just a little harder for a little longer. "Hi, Daddy."

"Hi, Jamie. How are you, sweetheart?"

While Jamie and Hegbert caught up, Landon's father arrived and the family sat down to dinner. The conversation was good, and everyone really enjoyed the opportunity to get together.

"So, Landon, Jamie, what brings us here today?" Worth asked.

Jamie smiled at her husband. "Oh, the other Landon commented that we hadn't had all of you over to see the house yet. We figured it was a great time for a housewarming party, and..." She never got to finish, because right at that moment, her hand covered her mouth, and she ran into the bathroom.

Everyone stood up as Landon ran after her. The rest of the family just sat there, looking at each other, wondering who was going to have to ask the obvious when they got back.

After a few minutes they returned, Jamie looking flushed and Landon frowning softly, both quiet as ever. In that moment, if silence could kill, every single last one of them would've been dead on the spot.

Finally, Cynthia swallowed the lump in her throat and asked the question they all knew was coming. "I heard you had a doctor's appointment this past week. How did that go? Are these signs of your cancer advancing?"

Jamie looked at Landon questioningly, and he instantly knew what she wanted to do - she wanted to tell them. _'There really is no way out of this one, is there?'_ Landon gently nodded his head as he wrapped Jamie's hand in his own, giving her support, while butterflies sprung up in his stomach.

"Well, actually..." Jamie's voice started out in hushed tones before she gained confidence and continued. "No. Luckily, in my case they aren't a sign of my leukemia progressing. ... Instead...they indicate a new pregnancy." Her eyes locked on Landon's as she finished. A peaceful smile resting upon her face, it was obvious she was relieved to have been able to share the news.

The room became speechless, and Landon and Jamie's hearts beat faster and faster as they waited for someone to say something...anything. Cynthia and Worth were looking at each other, their eyes wide in surprise. Reverend Sullivan was looking at Jamie and then at Landon, shaking his head in disbelief.

Minutes passed. Nothing was said. Reverend Sullivan had shifted in his seat and was now staring out the window, his hand brought up to his face. _'Lord, do something. Please,'_ Landon begged.

"Do you think this is what Landon and I planned?" Jamie suddenly spoke out, and Landon was surprised to see her truly angry. He had never seen her this angry (ok...Landon had seen her like this once before - when he had gone to her house to rehearse after the incident at the lockers, but it was still unexpected). "Do you really think that in the general course of conversation we decided that dealing with my health wasn't enough and that we would have a child when the future already seemed so uncertain? Well, I can assure you that we didn't."

With that, everyone was looking at Jamie, listening to her every word. Landon looked on with amazement at the strength she was showing. He had been so afraid to tell them, yet Jamie had done it with such ease and was now having no difficulty standing up for their family.

Their family. Landon knew he loved the sound of it already.

Jamie turned to look Landon in the eyes before she continued. "Landon and I are content in knowing that all of this is in the Lord's plan, and are actually truly happy about this." They exchanged smiles. While some of the anger had left her voice, Jamie's words were just as passionate. "How can anything that results from the love that Landon and I have for each other be wrong?"

Landon's fingers were lifting a tear that had spilt down her face when Reverend Sullivan got out of his seat. Landon held his breath, awaiting the inevitable. Instead of tackling his son-in-law to the floor, he headed for the door. He paused only momentarily, turning around to say, "So, Landon, this is how you took care of my little girl?" The door banged loudly as it shut.

Landon felt black-and-blue. Those words had hurt him more deeply than any punch could have. Jamie squeezed her husband's hand, trying to console him. "I told you we should have waited until we had the baby between us and them," Landon whispered, somehow trying to make light of the situation. Hearing her quiet laughter in response was the best reassurance he could have received.

The next thing they knew, Worth had grabbed Landon in a hug, Cynthia hugging Jamie. As he patted Landon on the back, Worth showed his support. "Please don't let our astonishment and concern be thought of as meaning that we don't love you and aren't proud of you."

"You two definitely know how to keep us on our toes!" Cynthia winked at them. "And Jamie, nothing but blessings have come out of the love you and Landon share so far, and I expect nothing less in this case."

Turning in for bed that night, Landon knew that Jamie had been right about telling their parents right away. There was a definite sense of relief, knowing it was all out in the open, yet the weight Jamie's father had placed on Landon remained. _"At least Reverend Sullivan now has eight-and-a-half months to try to find it in his heart to forgive me." _

As Landon closed his eyes, he saw the disappointment on Hegbert's face, hearing his words echoing in his brain. _'So, Landon, this is how you took care of my little girl...took care of my little girl...care of my little girl...my little girl...'

* * *

_

_The sun was beating down, almost blinding Landon with its unyielding, blinding rays. In his left arm was a newborn baby, Landon's right hand trying to shield its sleeping face from the bright light. Squinting, he scanned his surroundings, failing to find what he was looking for._

_The park was full of families that day - at the swing set a father was pushing his son on the swing, the little boy begging to go higher; at the bench a mother was reading a book to her daughter. As Landon walked up the pathway, he couldn't help but smile to himself. _

"_Just think, Landon, one day you'll be able to share those moments with your child." Landon turned his head to find an older woman with a knowing look upon her face._

"_And what a day that will be," he shared. _

_Just then, his eyes fixated on the shaded hill up in the distance. There, Jamie was laying out a blanket on the grass, a picnic basket resting beside her. The wind was blowing Jamie's skirt in the wind, making the material appear to be dancing around her. Landon carefully took a seat next to her. The immediate relief from the sun washed over him, and he was finally able to relax. _

_Jamie took Landon's free-hand in hers, looking at the baby, and then her husband. "My two favorite people."_

_Looking up to the sky, Landon could see the sun advancing its rays through the branches. "I don't know how much longer our shade is going to hold out," he sighed._

_Jamie glanced around the blanket, deep in thought, before leaning over to pick a single dandelion. Holding it in front of Landon, she smiled. "Landon, worries are like dandelions." She paused, twirling the simple flower in her fingers. "They are blown away on the breeze of an answered prayer." With that, she gently exhaled through her lips, sending the seeds in infinite directions until they disappeared altogether._

_Taking the now bare stem into his fingers, Landon contemplated her words. How easy it all seemed!_

"Landon...Landon..." He forced his eyes open to find Jamie whispering in his ear.

"Landon, wake up. Someone's knocking at the door." By the sound of her voice, it was apparent that she was still half asleep as well.

Groggily, Landon glanced at the clock. _'3:34! Why would anyone decide to drop by in the middle of the night?'_

Landon started to sit up when Jamie stopped him. "Be careful. It might be a burglar or something."

He chuckled. Lowering his head, Landon kissed Jamie on the forehead, his fingers running through her hair. "Baby, burglars don't knock to be let in."

Landon stumbled through the hall, banging into the wall once or twice. Now fully jolted awake, he reached the front door and looked through the peep-whole. _"Oh great! It's worse than a burglar - it's Hegbert!"_ Landon couldn't believe it. He unlocked the dead bolt and opened the door, hoping and praying that his eyes had been playing tricks on him and that it was a robber after all. They hadn't.

"Landon...can I come in?" Reverend Sullivan managed to choke out.

"Sure." As Hegbert stepped past him, Landon's guilt overcame him and he found himself saying things that caught even him by surprise. "Reverend, I'm sorry. This is entirely my fault..."

"Landon," he protested.

For some reason unknown to him, Landon continued. "I had promised myself that I wasn't going to let anything happen between us..."

"Landon."

His mind drifted off to the night in their hotel room. "But then, that night...the way she looked at me..."

"Son, please...stop while you're ahead." Hegbert's hand was resting on Landon's shoulder.

Embarrassment washed over him. Landon didn't know how much he wouldn't told him if Reverend Sullivan hadn't stopped him.

Landon's thoughts were interrupted by quiet giggling coming from the hallway. Jamie's face was peeking around the corner, smiling down on the scene that was playing out right inside the front door. "Daddy." She descended the staircase and gave her father a hug.

"Jamie, I owe you an apology - I owe both of you an apology." Reverend Sullivan glanced at Landon. "I realize it's late, but if you could just hear me out, I would really appreciate it." His voice was shaking; it was clear that he was nervous.

"Come on in, Reverend Sullivan," Landon said, turning on the living room lights, inviting him to take a seat. _'It couldn't be any worse than it was this afternoon, could it?' _he asked himself.

"You would think that by this point in my life, I would realize that you can't foresee the Lord's plan - especially after you entered my daughter's life, Landon." Hegbert chuckled to himself at his comment before continuing. "Tonight, God has had to show me that that is still an area that I need to work on. Jamie, when I heard that you were pregnant, I could not have been more caught off-guard. It was just too much for me to handle. I spent this past evening sulking over old home movies, asking God what it was that was bothering me so much."

Jamie and Landon sat there in silence for some time. They looked at each other, not really knowing what to say.

At last, Hegbert continued. "It took me a lot of reflection to realize that I wasn't worried about you, Jamie. You made it very clear today that you had found your peace." He took Jamie's hand before focusing on Landon. "I was worried about you, Landon. I couldn't help but see a little bit of myself when I thought about you becoming a single father. I didn't want to watch you go through all of the mixed emotions I experienced."

Landon exhaled in astonishment. As he looked up at his father-in-law, Landon actually had a new sense of respect for the man.

"When I lost your mother, Jamie, I found you to be my greatest source of comfort. You were a part of her in every aspect, reminding me of her presence at every turn. At the very least, I know that, Landon, you will come to appreciate the solace in knowing that in this way Jamie will always be with you." Tears had fought their way out of Reverend Sullivan's eyes as he continued. "A part of me, however, wouldn't accept that as being enough. I must have watched over six hours of videos of you when you were younger, Jamie. Then I found something." He pulled a video tape out of his jacket pocket and handed it to Landon. "I'm sorry for the way I reacted earlier. I love you both and am really happy for you. God has truly blessed you...again," he finished with a chuckle.

Landon rose from the couch and put the tape in the VCR. Hitting play, he couldn't help but wonder what Hegbert had come across. Landon wrapped his arm around Jamie and she leaned in, resting her head on his shoulder. Reverend Sullivan looked at the two of them, his lips forming a slight smile.

As soon as the tape started, they were immediately transported back to kindergarten - Mrs. Michaels, play dough, and paper paste. The camera struggled to focus as it slowly scanned the classroom before finally zooming in on a little girl in pigtail braids along the one wall.

"I had forgotten how adorable you were back then," Landon whispered, referring to Jamie.

Jamie smiled, before bursting out in laughter. "Is that you and Eric playing in the sand box in the background?"

Landon chuckled. "That would be correct - nice hair, huh?" he replied, referring to his long bowl-cut.

"I think it's cute." Jamie glanced up at him.

_Jamie was sitting in the rocking chair, a doll in her arms. You could just make out the lullabies she was humming as she rocked back and forth._

"_Aren't you a good mommy." Mrs. Michaels had approached her and was now kneeling beside her. "Did you get your baby to stop crying?"_

"_No, Mrs. Michaels - it's not hungry and it won't go to sleep. I don't know what to do." _

"_Well, Jamie, what else do babies need to make them happy?" she questioned._

_Jamie cupped her chin in the palm of her hand, scrunching her forehead deep in thought. Her face suddenly lit up. "I know! Thanks, Mrs. Michaels." She glanced around the room before finally heading in Landon's direction and tapping him on the shoulder. "Baby wants her daddy to tuck her in."_

_He laughed, a questioning look painted on his face, before finally pulling his hands out of the wet sand he was shaping. Landon took the doll in his hands, brought it up to his shoulder, patted its back, and then lay it down on a nearby chair._

_Jamie thanked him, and then noticing her father in the corner, took off skipping. "Daddy, Daddy..." _

With that, the video turned to fuzz.

* * *

A/N: Okay, I have something else to add that I forgot about at the beginning of the chapter. This is most definitely the most fun story I have ever written, and I'm very proud of it and would defend it with my life (lol I make it sound like its a person or something!). So, I have a HUGE favor to ask you guys. If any of you know someone who could make a banner for me to post with this story, that would be fantastic! If you do, you can contact me with details at Thanks you for all your help! 


	14. Don't Stop Dancing

A/N: I officially have a banner for the story! Go to my homepage and click on my pics and tell me what you think!

Sharpie's is an actual place in Beaufort, NC. I don't own it, so yeah, now you know. And I also don't own Long John Silver's, just in case you were wondering.

One last thing: In four days I will be leaving for Europe (YAY!). I'm going to Germany, Switzerland, and France, and I'll be gone until July 21st. Then, on the 22nd, I'll be leaving for Florida for my family vacation. I'm not sure when I'll be back, but it should be around the beginning of August, 'cause soon after that I have to start band camp. So, as you can see, I'll be extremely busy up until school starts, and I won't even have computer access for the next three weeks or so. I'll probably write some chapters while I'm gone and put them up as soon as I get back, but I just wanted to let all of you know that if I don't update for a few weeks it's just because I'm on vacation. Don't worry -- I haven't abandoned the story! Come on, guys, I'd never do that to you!

Lots of love, and keep reviewing,

shanelover89

* * *

Chapter 12

It seemed like the next day, but a few weeks had already passed by the time Landon and Jamie got settled into somewhat of an everyday routine. Living in such a small town, the news about the baby traveled like wildfire, and within a few days, they couldn't go anywhere without receiving congratulations left and right.

Two weeks after Jamie's first doctor's visit, she had to go back in for a routine blood test to see how her leukemia was progressing, along with checking in on her pregnancy. Dr. Garrett assured her and Landon that the blood work was as normal as could be expected, without giving them the details that they had decided they didn't want to know.

Surprisingly, Jamie didn't have too badly of a time dealing with the morning sickness. She only had a few days out of the week, and it was usually fairly mild. And this made Landon feel loads better. He already knew she had to feel awful, and he was glad she didn't have to put up with morning sickness on top of her leukemia.

* * *

Pretty soon, June gave way to July. The fourth of July was celebrated at Cynthia's house, and everyone really enjoyed taking a break from their busy schedules and having some time together.

Soon after, Jamie reached her third month. She had just the slightest bit of a belly, and she and Landon went in for her first ultrasound. They had decided that they wanted the baby's gender to be a surprise, voicing the motto, "This started out as a surprise and it's going to end that way, too."

It was a hot morning, the sun shining brightly from the time it came up, easily peeking through the leaves of the trees. After waking up in each other's arms and getting ready, they headed over to Dr. Garrett's office. They walked through the sliding doors, going up to the reception desk to let the receptionist know they were there and then taking their seats in the waiting room. Jamie absentmindedly picked up a parenting magazine, and Landon looked over at her, a small smirk plastered on his face. Jamie looked up.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing, baby. I'm just laughing at what you're reading..." He shifted his eyes to her magazine as she looked down and let out a small giggle.

"Yeah, I didn't even realize it." She looked back up at Landon and leaned in for a kiss, just as a nurse came out.

"Jamie Carter? ...and Landon?" They followed the woman to the back as she led them into an ultrasound room. "Dr. Garrett should be with you shortly. Please, have a seat and make yourselves comfortable."

Soon after, Dr. Garrett walked in and instructed Jamie to lay down on the examination table as she dimmed the lights and turned on the ultrasound machine.

Jamie pulled her shirt up and Dr. Garrett laid a sheet over her bottom half, leaving her abdomen and hips exposed. She squeezed some warm goo onto Jamie's stomach and began to somewhat forcefully run its sensor over her slightly bulging stomach.

"Jamie, I'm sorry for pressing down so hard but we've got a lot of layers of flesh and muscle to get through."

The force of it was causing a desperate need to go the bathroom. Jamie cringed slightly as Landon leaned down and kissed Jamie's cheek while stroking her hair lightly. She smiled up at him and kissed him back, full on the lips.

"Alright, here we go..." Dr. Garrett said, pointing to the baby on the screen, smiling over at the young couple.

"That's the baby?" Landon asked, somewhat in a state of awe.

"Yep." The doctor smiled at them.

"What's that little thing pulsing in the middle?" Jamie asked, pointing to the screen.

"That's your baby's heart."

At that moment, the room could've been lit by the radiant smiles coming from Landon and Jamie's first look at their baby. Just knowing that the baby was okay, and growing on target was the biggest relief that could've been lifted from their chests.

* * *

That night, Landon and Jamie decided to go out to eat, seeing as they hadn't gone out since they found out about the baby. There wasn't any particular reason as to why they hadn't gone, but Jamie was craving some shrimp (Landon had laughed at her when she told him this), and tonight seemed as good as any to go out.

Landon pulled out of the driveway, heading up to the intersection at the end of their street and turning right onto to Front Street, driving in the direction of Sharpie's, the seafood place that he'd taken Jamie to on their first date.

When Jamie saw where he was headed, she immediately tried to stop him. "Landon, when I said I wanted shrimp, I didn't mean you had to take me to the most expensive place in town. I mean, Long John Silver's would have sufficed."

Landon let out a laugh. "Baby, I'm not gonna let you eat all that greasy stuff. It's not good for you...or the baby."

As soon as the word _baby_ was mentioned, Jamie smiled. "Okay, that's fine..." she sighed, knowing it'd be worth spending a little extra money to get healthier food.

Walking into the restaurant, the greeter immediately walked over to them. "Hi, welcome to Sharpie's. Just two of you tonight?"

"Yep," answered Jamie, looking around. The place looked a little different from the last time they'd been there.

"Would you like to eat outside on our patio tonight?"

Landon smiled at Jamie, and they both silently agreed, wanting this night to be just as romantic as their first date. "That'd be great."

"Alright, well if you'll just follow me, I'll take you to your table."

* * *

Dinner was fantastic. Landon refused to let Jamie even see the bill, just wanting her to enjoy the evening without worrying over something as petty as money. They had dessert, or, _Jamie_ had dessert while Landon watched. He found the fact that she was always so hungry pretty amusing, especially since before she got pregnant she never really had that big of an appetite.

After Jamie had finished, Landon looked at her and asked the infamous question. "Would you like to dance with me, Mrs. Carter?"

She gave him a cute little grin. "And I thought I'd have to be the one to ask you."

"Looks like I'm ahead of for once, baby," he laughed. Landon stood up and walked right beside her, holding out his hand and taking hers, leading her over to dance floor. His arms wrapped around the lower part of her torso, his stomach resting against hers. He smiled when he realized that from this angle, her baby belly was easy to feel.

God, how he loved her.


	15. A New Family Member

A/N: Guess what, guys? I have some awesome news that I must tell you all before I burst with excitement. You ready for this?

I'm officially a published author!

Go ahead, envy me. Lol, I'm just kidding.

Yeah, and I know I warned you guys and all about the long wait for a new chapter, but I still felt really bad! So, to make it up to you, I decided to give you a really long one this time, considering I start school in three days, and there very well might be a little bit of another wait. I hate to say that, but I must remember that summer is over and I won't be able to write as much as I'd like once I start getting homework again. Anyways, yeah. That was quite a long author's note.

Lots of love,

Lorah

Now, on with the story!

Chapter 13

Hot. Sticky. Unbearable. Those were just a few words that could describe the next few weeks. And Jamie was glad that she wasn't having to deal with this heat late in her pregnancy. In fact, even though she was getting bigger, Jamie had a feeling that she wasn't going to have that big of a belly in the end.

It was a cloudless Sunday morning, and as usual, most of the citizens of Beaufort were sitting in church. Landon and Jamie were no exception. They sat in the hot sanctuary, Landon's arm around Jamie as they listened to the sermon.

After church, Landon and Jamie met up with Cynthia while Hegbert finished putting his robe away.

"Hey, Mom," Landon said, hugging her and giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Hi, honey, how're you doing?" Cynthia asked, patting Landon's back.

"Pretty good, just been really busy with work." Landon had recently gotten a job at a local car repair shop. Sure, it wasn't the most glamorous career choice out there, but it helped pay the bills. And with a baby on the way, that was a little crucial. Okay, a lot crucial.

Cynthia soon pulled Jamie into an identical hug to the one she gave her son. "And you," she practically gushed, "how's that baby been treating you?"

Jamie smiled. "Good, actually. I haven't had any morning sickness in a few days, so I'm taking that as a good sign," she giggled.

"Well, that's wonderful, sweetheart," Cynthia replied. She pulled away and looked at both of them. "Would you two like to come over for lunch, maybe?"

"Actually, Mom, we'd love to, but we already made plans to go walk around the bay. We thought we might go baby shopping." At that last comment, he gave Jamie the biggest smile she thought she'd ever seen from him. She thought it was so incredibly sexy that he was so excited about being a dad.

"Oh, that sounds like so much fun!" Cynthia shrieked. "You kids go have a great time. We'll have lunch another time."

After saying goodbye to Reverend Sullivan, Landon and Jamie drove home to change clothes before going shopping.

They drove over to the bay, found a parking spot, and took off down the street. It was only eleven, so some of the shops were just opening, but Landon and Jamie were able to get some good shopping in before the big afternoon rush came.

They walked along down the street, holding hands as usual, when Landon pulled Jamie to an abrupt stop. She gave him a quizzical look. "What is it?"

"Look at that," he replied, focusing in on and pointing to a locally-owned store called Stylish Stork. He smiled. "Do you wanna go in?"

Jamie stood on her tiptoes and pressed her swelled stomach up against his flat abs. "Sounds good," she said, kissing him on the lips and tracing his mouth with her tongue, slowly slipping it in.

Landon almost lost it when he felt her velvety smooth tongue slide into his mouth. He responded in kind, sucking on it gently, and then, realizing that they were standing in the middle of a _very _public place, he reluctantly pulled away from her inviting lips.

He smiled. "Let's go in and see what we can find..." Landon said, putting his hands on Jamie's belly and rubbing it slowly.

"Alright," she replied, giving him one last quick peck on the lips. They walked hand-in-hand into the store, glancing around before heading over to a rack of clothes for newborn baby girls. Jamie practically squealed in delight.

"Oh, Landon, these are just _too _cute!" She immediately held up a tiny red dress with a pink ribbon on the front of it. "Oh my gosh, Landon, this would be perfect!"

He let out a small laugh. "Only if you give us that daughter I asked you for. No son of mine will ever wear pink, not to mention a dress."

Jamie smiled at him. "It wouldn't be _my _fault no matter what the baby is - it's all up to you. Remember biology class with Miss Freeman? Come on -- we didn't graduate _that _long ago." She let out an innocent giggle and squealed when he threw his arms around her and picked her up, kissing her, then setting her back down.

"You're right," he said, pseudo-defeatedly. "Hopefully I did a good job..."

"Oh, I think you did a great job," she said seductively. Jamie looked up at him again. "So...can we get it?"

How could he say no to those eyes? "Of course, baby," Landon said, smiling at his wife. What did he ever do to deserve someone so perfect?

The sun was going down, fishing boats were coming back into the harbor -- the long day was finally winding down.

But Landon and Jamie Carter felt just as in love as ever.

They'd spent the entire day walking up and down the boardwalk, eating ice cream, and browsing through the large assortment of shops, even finding a small knick-knack shop and buying the tier off of a wedding cake. At first, Jamie objected, but Landon persuaded her by pointing out that it could make up for the one they didn't have. And when she'd smiled back at him lovingly, Landon knew he'd won.

It was around nine-thirty, and some of the shops had started to close, but Jamie and Landon weren't anywhere near being ready to leave. This had without-a-doubt been one of Jamie's better days in the past few months, and neither of them were ready for it to end. They strolled hand-in-hand under the moonlight, pretty much just basking in each other's love.

They reached the end of the boardwalk and began to turn back. Landon saw a shopkeeper walking out of the local pet shop to sweep the entrance, noticing the new animals in the front window.

He looked Jamie's way. "You wanna?" he asked, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and planting a light kiss on her cheek.

She smiled. "Sure. Why not?" Jamie grabbed hold of Landon's hand and they walked inside the shop, noticing the light 'ding' of the small bell above the door.

The bark of a tiny dog in the front window caught both Landon and Jamie's attention. They slowly walked over to it, and Jamie reached out a hand to pet it. "Oh, Landon, she's so cute..."

"Actually," the shopkeeper said, coming over, "it's a he."

"What kind of dog is it?" asked Landon as Jamie began to rub the dog's stomach, laughing at the rapid movements of it's hind leg.

"Rosco's a Welsh Corgi, pure bred, actually. He just got here a couple of days ago. The family who gave him up moved into town from the country and just didn't have space for him anymore."

Jamie walked away from the dog, coming up from behind Landon and wrapping her slim arms around his torso. "Landon, can we get him?"

"Jamie...I don't know..." Sure, the dog was cute, but did they really have the time and energy for a dog on top of everything else?

Jamie seemed to know exactly the doubts running through Landon's head. "Landon, please? I mean, how fun would it be to have a dog running around? And when the baby comes, it'd be so great for when they get a little older." She looked deep into his hazel eyes, nearly pleading for him to say yes.

Landon knew she was right, and he wanted to make the end of her life as full of joy as possible. He looked right at the shopkeeper and said with a smile, "We'll take him."

Plans were made for Landon and Jamie to pick the dog up in the morning, and they went on their way.

Later that night, Jamie and Landon were settling into bed, Jamie reading her Bible and Landon watching Jamie. She felt someone watching her and glanced over at Landon. "What is it?" she asked.

He smirked at her. "Nothing much. Just figuring out how to tell you something."

"Tell me what?"

"Oh, just that you're the most beautiful woman in the entire world. Not that that's any big discovery. I've always known that." Landon slid his arm around Jamie, letting her snuggle closer. "Oh, and also that I'll love you forever. I'll always stay right by your side for the rest of my life."

Jamie's eyes began filling with tears. "Oh, Landon, I love you, too." She moved forward and pressed her lips to his while his hands came up to her face and his thumbs began wiping away her tears. Jamie pulled him down onto the bed, her hands roaming his back.

Landon hadn't seen this side of Jamie in a few weeks. She really hadn't been feeling too well, but tonight it seemed like that spell was finally over. And Landon couldn't have been more ready for it to end. Just then, he felt Jamie twitch under him. "Baby, are you okay?"

"Hmm?"

"I mean, you just moved without moving..." Jamie took his hand and placed it on the side of her swollen stomach.

Then he felt it.

His child...their child...was moving. It was kicking from within, as if it was trying to make it's way out. Landon couldn't believe it. "Holy cow..." His eyes brimmed with tears as he felt his child moving under his palm. Jamie just smiled up at him.

"How does it feel, Daddy?"

"It feels...amazing. Thank you so much."

"For what, Landon?" Jamie's eyebrows were knit together in confusion, but her smile still radiated love.

"For letting me share this moment with you. I'll treasure it forever..." Landon wrapped his arms around his wife and drifted off to sleep, secure in the fact that as long as Jamie was around, he'd be able to spend these moments with her, and that as long as God was part of their life, all would be okay.


	16. The Start of Fall

A/N: Okay, so that wait must have totally sucked. I really am sorry, guys! Too much drama and homework, and then homecoming week came around...no time to even sleep! Well, I know this chapter's plot kind of meanders, and it's kind of random, but I wanted to get it out there for all you dedicated readers! And that reminds me: Thanks to all who have reviewed. It really is truly appreciated :)

Thanks again,

Lorah

Chapter 14

Rosco was a blast. To say the very least. Not only was a dog exactly what Jamie needed to keep her company during the day while Landon was at school at the local community college, but Rosco was also keeping up both Carter's spirits.

It was now early September, and Jamie had officially reached her fifth month. She and Landon had begun looking at baby names, but they hadn't been able to decide on anything, especially since they were doing it in the midst of school, work, and Jamie's doctor visits, which had just recently become even more frequent.

Landon woke early on a Tuesday morning. He quietly got out of bed, trying his best not to wake Jamie, but to no avail. Her eyes slowly fluttered open, adjusting to the bright sunlight coming through the curtains. "Landon, where are you going?" she muttered softly, eyes still closed.

"Sshh, baby. Go back to sleep. I'll be back around twelve-thirty for your appointment. I love you," he answered, kissing his wife on the lips. Now, Landon normally wouldn't have worried when Jamie got up, but with her pregnancy progressing, as well as her cancer, he knew she needed all the rest she could get.

"Mmkay..." Jamie drifted back to sleep as Landon get dressed and went into the kitchen to let Rosco out of his kennel. Landon fed him and he poured himself a cup of coffee. As the dog ate, Landon sipped his coffee and read the paper. It even surprised him how much he'd grown up in the last few months. Landon had gone from chugging beers to leisurely sipping coffee, from being out until early morning on Friday and Saturday nights to spending them cuddled up on the couch watching re-runs with Jamie, and from living life minute-to-minute to actually beginning to plan a future.

Yep, Landon Carter had definitely grown up.

After breakfast, Landon walked the dog. It was an unspoken agreement between Jamie and him that Landon would walk Rosco in the morning and Jamie would walk him in the afternoon. Landon sometimes worried about this because of her current "conditions," but Jamie insisted that it was one of many things that kept her healthy. On top of that, the daily exercise helped the baby's health and growth up, too.

Landon took the dog twice around the block and put him back in his kennel. He made his way back into the bedroom where Jamie was still sleeping peacefully. Landon kissed her lips softly, then leaned over and placed a matching one on her belly, whispering, "I love you two. See you this afternoon."

The half-hour drive to the local community college two towns over was something Landon really looked forward to every morning. The quiet buzz of the highway helped Landon de-stress. With everything going on in he and Jamie's life, he kind of needed this little "reflection period" in the morning to unwind and calm down before the work of the day started.

* * *

Jamie woke up a little later, yawning and standing up to stretch. She glanced at the clock -- it was 9:30. It was about three and a half hours until her appointment with Dr. Garrett, and Jamie still had to shower and try to clean up the house a bit before Landon came home to take her. She immediately heard Rosco barking, obviously wanting to be let out of his kennel to go outside and do his business. Jamie groggily made her way into the kitchen and unlatched the cage, giggling as Rosco went running towards the door, slipping on the tile floor along the way. She opened the screen door that led to the backyard. "Here ya go, buddy."

Jamie waited for him to finish and stood in the doorjamb, inhaling the sweet scent of fall. The trees had already begun to change colors, school had started, and there was a crisp coolness to the air that only fall could bring. Rosco looked towards Jamie and barked merrily, as if saying, "Come on out and play with me!" She smiled at the dog, throwing on a pair of flip-flops that were sitting by the door and one of Landon's jackets and walking out the door, closing it behind her.

Jamie picked up a nearby stick and threw it a few feet, laughing and yelling, "Fetch, Rosco!" He obediently brought it back, then flipped onto his back, his hind leg moving rapidly when Jamie bent over and started to rub his stomach.

Hands down, this was the most fun Jamie had had in a long time. She didn't even realize how long she was outside until she heard the distinct, low roar of Landon's Camaro rounding the corner and coming to a stop in the driveway. She ran back into the house to look at the clock -- it was 12:15. Her appointment started at 12:45, and Jamie hadn't even taken a shower yet.

"Baby? You home?" Landon called as he wandered through the downstairs, looking for his wife. His first thought was that she was still asleep.

Oh, on the contrary. He walked into the bedroom to see Jamie flinging clothes left and right -- they already covered most of the floor -- to find something to wear. He chuckled as he dodged a pink striped shirt and Jamie shrieked, "Ughh! Nothing fits anymore!" She looked up to find Landon looking at her sympathetically, a small smile covering his face. "What?" she asked him, annoyed.

"Come here, baby..." he said, wrapping his arms around his wife, kissing her cheek. "What's wrong, honey?"

"Oh, I'm fine...really."

He laughed. "Jamie, a few seconds ago you were flinging clothes around our room like a madwoman...now what's up?"

She broke down. "Oh, Landon, I feel so fat all the time! It's like this...thing...has just taken over my body and I just feel like crap... I mean, I was having so much fun playing with the dog earlier, and I just lost track of time...then I heard the car and now we're gonna be late and..."

Landon stroked her arms lightly. "Shh, baby...shh...everything'll be okay. Just get dressed and we'll go. Don't even worry about your hair or anything...you already look so beautiful to me. Go ahead and get dressed, okay?" Landon kissed his wife's forehead and squeezed her hand, adding, "I love you."

"I love you, too, Landon." Jamie kissed him full on the lips and sighed into his mouth, her desire for him building with every second she felt his lips on hers. Sure, this pregnancy was definitely taking its toll on her body, but there were also so many great things that were coming along with the bad ones. And the thing that she and Landon were looking forward to most? The end result -- a beautiful baby to show for it all. Wow, they really couldn't wait.


	17. Anniversaries, Names,&Poems of the Heart

A/N: Hey, it's me again! Sorry for the wait! I had a major case of writer's block, so sorry if this chapter sucks. I had this really awesome chapter all set up in my head, but I was having a heck of a time getting it down on paper and it definitely turned out to be completely different than I originally thought. Oh well, such is life. Umm, for all of you who are still reading this, I love you all!

Oh, yeah. I don't own the poem in this chapter. It was written by Yvonne Warren. And on that note, on with the story!

Lorah

* * *

Chapter 15

The leaves were changing colors, Halloween was quickly approaching, and Jamie had officially reached her sixth month. Her doctor's appointments had become more frequent, but even so, her pregnancy was progressing as well as could be expected.

Landon's mom had even offered to throw her a baby shower. At first, Jamie had objected, saying that she and Landon could handle everything, but in the end, Cynthia had won. The shower was coming up soon -- October 23 -- and was going to be held at Cynthia's house. She had really gone all out for it, too. She'd invited practically everyone who even knew Landon and Jamie.

It was Saturday morning, and as usual, Landon and Jamie were waking up to each other.

"Morning, baby," Landon whispered as he placed a hand on Jamie's swollen belly and kissed her cheek. "How's the little one?" he added as his eyes glanced to the same place his hand had been just moments before.

Jamie giggled. "Oh, I'm pretty sure she's doing great in there." They didn't know for certain that the baby was a girl, but they had decided to call the baby "she" for the plain and simple fact that both Jamie and Landon were tired of calling the baby an "it." Oh, and that Jamie had an overwhelming feeling that the baby _was_ a girl.

"So, you think we should get started over breakfast?" Landon asked, sitting up and running a hand through his hair, causing it to stick up in little pieces all over his head. The plan for this particular Saturday was to spend the entire morning picking out baby names. Both Landon and Jamie had a couple choices in mind, but since nothing had been finalized in that department, today was day to do it, considering Landon didn't have to work and had no classes. Later that night, they also planned on going out for their six-month anniversary.

"Sure...how 'bout I go downstairs and get breakfast started while you shower?"

"Sounds great, baby." Landon climbed out of bed and made his way into the bathroom while Jamie put on her robe and slippers and went into the kitchen to start breakfast.

* * *

Thirty minutes later, the couple was sitting at the kitchen table, plates in front of them as they skimmed through a book of baby names.

"Oh, Landon, this one is adorable! Listen: Elijah Carter. Don't you think that sounds good? And it means, 'the Lord is my God.' Too perfect..." Jamie cooed as she looked through the E section of the book.

"That one does sound good. Do you want to go with that one? Or do you have any others in mind? I remember you said something about liking the name Matthew last time we did this..." Landon smiled -- he knew how indecisive his wife could be at times.

"Well, which one do you like better? I can't decide between the two," Jamie sighed.

"Me either." Landon smiled as an idea came to him, "Let's just use 'em both."

"What do you mean?"

"Elijah Matthew Carter."

Jamie could feel the tears starting to well up in her eyes as she thought of holding the baby -- it wasn't very far away. And she _really_ liked that name. "Oh, Landon, I love it. I think it'd be a great name for a boy. Elijah Matthew Carter...it's really got quite a nice ring to it, doesn't it?" She pressed her lips to Landon's and wrapped her arms around his neck as she kissed him. She smiled as they pulled away a moment later.

"Yeah, baby. I love it, too." Landon glanced back down at the book. "Now...for girl names..." The rest of the time they sat at the table, Landon rested his hand on Jamie's abdomen. Every so often, the baby would kick, as if reminding Landon and Jamie that it was still in there; that they were going to be parents in a matter of months. Some days, Landon had a hard time believing it. Within the past seven months, he'd proposed to Jamie, they'd taken a cross-country road trip to get married, Jamie had gotten pregnant, and the couple had experienced more love than they had ever thought possible.

Even so, Landon couldn't help but remember that Jamie would be leaving him soon...at least they thought so. But with Jamie refusing to see the results of the numerous amount of tests that head been performed on her, neither one of them knew exactly what was going on with Jamie's health. And Landon never told her this, but the reason he had planned to celebrate their six-month anniversary so heavily was because he had a gut-wrenching feeling that Jamie wouldn't be able to make it all the way to their one-year. Sure, Jamie was the strongest person he knew by far, but even a person with as strong a mind as Jamie wouldn't be able to fight the repercussions of the disease that wreaked such havoc on the body. All Landon could do was hope and pray for a good outcome at the end of all this.

* * *

"Landon, come on! We're gonna be late!" Jamie called from the living room to her husband, who, as usual, was in the bathroom fiddling with his hair. "Our reservation's at six, and it's now," she glanced at her watch, "five forty-five." She impatiently sat down and began to thumb through a nearby magazine. Jamie had barely opened the front cover when she heard Landon come into the room.

"Okay, I'm ready now, Mom," he chuckled as he teased Jamie about her maternal-ness.

She smiled at him, "Yeah, _Dad_, I never thought you'd get done in there."

"Touché," Landon replied as he walked towards Jamie and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her on the forehead. Landon took a step back and his smile got even wider when he realized how amazing she looked. "Baby, you look...incredible...so beautiful..." Jamie wore a knee-length brown skirt with a light pink blouse and had pulled it all together with a pair of slightly-heeled pink shoes that looked like they were made for the sole purpose of matching her shirt. Her hair was down, too -- something else that Landon loved when she did it. And her belly...well, that was probably Landon's favorite part of the outfit. The way it made her glow drove him wild -- she was an adorable pregnant woman.

"You don't look so bad yourself, hon." Jamie had to admit, she was glad she'd waited for him to get done. Landon had on a pair of khakis and a green polo shirt -- definitely not his everyday wear, but Jamie liked the look none-the-less. As much as she didn't want to admit it, that extra five minutes in the bathroom had paid off.

"You ready to go?" he asked, grabbing his keys off the coffee table and taking his wife's hand.

"I've been waiting on _you_, mister. Don't even try to play that one," she giggled.

"I guess you're right..."

* * *

They arrived at the restaurant a little before six -- about five 'til -- but Landon went up to the podium anyway. "May I help you?" an older woman asked, not even glancing up from the reservation book.

"Yes, ma'am, you can. I have a reservation under Carter..."

The woman skimmed down the list with her index finger, finally landing on what she wanted. "Ah, yes, here we are. Well, you're a bit early, but I think we have an open table. If you'll just follow me..." She began leading him through the crowded dining area, and Landon looked back at Jamie, motioning for her to go with him.

They sat down at their table, which was towards the back of the restaurant, and were immediately handed menus. "Your server should be with you shortly," the woman said as she walked away.

Landon and Jamie held hands over the table, speaking of insignificant things, such as Landon's work and school schedule for the next few weeks and Jamie's next doctor's appointment. Within minutes, their waitress had come over and had taken their orders -- a salad for Jamie and a steak for Landon -- and they had returned to their previous conversation.

"So, you think you'll be able to make it out of class early enough to get there before it's over?" Jamie asked, referring to her doctor's appointment.

"Baby, I wouldn't miss it for the world, okay?" Landon picked up Jamie's hand and placed a light kiss on it, setting it back down on the table gently. "If it isn't over before one, I'll just leave."

For the next couple minutes or so, no words were spoken. They started across the table into each others' eyes, just enjoying their time together. Neither one knew for sure when the next time would be where they would get the opportunity to go out to dinner, especially with all of the baby-planning they still had left on top of work, school, and visits to Dr. Garrett.

* * *

After dinner, Jamie and Landon drove to the nearest beach, which actually wasn't too horribly far from their house. They both took off their shoes and stepped into the squishy sand, starting on their trek down the beach, hand-in-hand. They walked for about fifteen minutes before Jamie insisted they could take a quick breather for a couple minutes -- or rather, _she_ should take a quick breather. The baby had gotten big enough that it was beginning to press into her ribcage, sometimes causing her shortness of breath. They sat down in the warm sand, facing the ocean and spooning the same way they had only months ago in the cemetery on their secret date -- when Landon had given Jamie her star.

Jamie sighed happily. "I love you so much," she said, leaning her head back on her husband's shoulder. "Happy Anniversary."

Landon smiled, and although Jamie couldn't see it, she knew it was there. "I love you, too. Happy Anniversary. Oh, that reminds me," he said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small folded piece of paper. "I got you something. Well, sort of."

"What do you mean?" Jamie asked, curious as to what it was that he'd brought along.

"I wrote something..." Landon said sheepishly. "I don't know if it's any good, but I figured I'd read it for you anyway. I've been thinking about us and the baby and everything a lot, and, well...okay, here it goes:

I never knew there would be a better tomorrow,

But you've come into my life and taken away all my sorrow.

My days of sadness are a thing of the past

Because I have found true love at last.

My days of emptiness are gone for good

Because you fill a void in my heart that you should.

You've opened a window,  
You've shown me the light,  
And my love for you will continue to burn bright." As he finished, he looked deep into his wife's eyes and kissed her with more passion than either one could handle. Soft, warm tears ran down both of their faces as they continued to caress one another.

"Oh, Landon, that was so beautiful, I love it, I love you..." Jamie whispered as Landon used his thumbs to wipe her tears away.

"I love you, too, baby. More than you could ever imagine...I love both of you so much...so much..." he sighed as his hand caressed her belly. Just then, the baby decided to kick, making its presence known once again. Landon laughed softly and patted her stomach, leaning down and placing a kiss on it. "I'm pretty sure she's gonna be one of those kids that we're gonna have to lock the door on, if you know what I mean. Always interrupting at exactly the wrong time."

Jamie giggled. "Yeah, I know what you mean. And I'm pretty sure she gets it from me...my parents used to say the same thing..."

* * *

Later that night, the couple sat in bed; Jamie was reading her bible and Landon was still looking through the book of baby names -- they still hadn't picked a name for a girl. Landon wasn't usually this compulsive about procrastinating, but he wanted to make sure everything was ready for the baby when it decided to come. And a name was one of those things that was kind of necessary.

"Jamie, do you like the name Abigail?" Landon asked, turning towards her.

"Yeah, it's always been one of my favorites. In fact, do you remember that tape my dad brought over a couple months ago from when we were in kindergarten? The doll in that video...well, I had named her Abigail," Jamie laughed gently, her hand going to her stomach. "Why? Do you like it?"

"Well, I was thinking that maybe we could use that as a middle name, just because most girls named Abigail don't usually go by that. They all go by Abby, you know?"

"I guess you're right. So you're not big into names that have nicknames associated with them?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

"Then let's use it as a middle name. Now we gotta come up with a first name...what about Halia, that one we saw earlier? No nicknames with that one...that I can think of, anyway..."

"So you wanna go with Halia Abigail Carter? Wow, I really like that one...it sounds good to me. I love you, baby..." Landon leaned over and kissed Jamie, the passion building every second. Jamie put her bible down and slid her thin arms around Landon's torso, reaching up under his shirt to stroke his back lovingly. This was going to be a long night between husband and wife...


	18. Classes and Showers

Chapter 16

'_What a beautiful day for a baby shower,'_ thought Jamie as she sat in front of the vanity mirror in her and Landon's bedroom. She ran a comb through her damp hair, which her pregnancy had done wonders for, by the way. It had a new luster to it that had never been there before and had also been growing quite rapidly -- it was already to the middle of her back.

Jamie got dressed and walked into the room across the hall, where Landon stood with a paint roller and a tray of pale yellow paint.

"Hey, baby," he said when he realized Jamie was standing there watching him. He walked over to her and kissed her on the lips, then leaned down and placed a matching one on her rounded belly. "How're my two favorite people this morning?"

"We're doing great," Jamie replied, emphasizing the "we" -- sometimes she still couldn't believe that she was going to be a mother. "So, how's the painting coming along?" she asked, looking around.

"Pretty good. I've got the back wall done and half of this one," Landon said, pointing to the portion of wall directly behind him.

"Well, it looks like you're doing a great job. So...what's left to do after the painting?"

"I gotta get the crib and dresser put together...and the changing table...and after that, we'll put in whatever you get today at the shower. When does that start, by the way?" Landon returned painting, and dipped the roller into the paint tray before sliding it up the wall and back down again in a rhythmic pattern.

"Your mom said something about noon-ish, and it should be over by four..."

"Okay, well, I've got class 'til three-thirty, so I'll just swing by after that. Is that okay?"

Jamie wrapped her arms around Landon and hugged him tight, pillowing her face into the crook of his neck and answering, "That sounds great... Do you need any help in here?" she asked.

Landon countered with a quick, "No." And at Jamie's puzzled expression, he added, "The fumes from the paint aren't good for the baby...I don't want you hanging around in here for a long time, okay?" Landon hugged Jamie, kissed her on the forehead, adding, "Just to make sure nothing goes wrong."

"Honey, everything will be fine, but I'll go just to make you happy."

"Thank you," Landon replied, sounding exactly like Jamie had that night in the cemetery when he had laid out the second blanket.

"You're more than welcome, Landon," Jamie said. As if an afterthought, she added, "Do you want me to make you something to eat? You've been working all morning and I was thinking of maybe making myself some breakfast..."

* * *

After their late breakfast, Landon and Jamie worked more on the nursery -- well, _Landon_ worked on it while Jamie got caught up with the laundry. After all of the clothes were folded, she got out the shopping bags of baby stuff from the coat closet in the living room and began to tear things out of their packages and take the tags off of the clothes, and put them away in the drawers of the baby's dresser. By the time she was finished with everything, Landon had gotten the baby's entire room painted and had half of the Noah's Ark themed wall border put up. Jamie walked into the room to see how it was coming along. When she saw it, Jamie gasped in both surprise and utter delight.

"Oh, Landon, this looks adorable!" Really and truly, words couldn't describe how much Jamie loved the room...and it wasn't even finished yet. She laughed. "I'm thoroughly impressed..."

"Thanks, baby. I hoped you'd like it."

"Oh, how couldn't I? It's perfect." Warm tears had started falling down her cheeks and she cried, "Gosh, I _hate_ these hormones, though."

Landon chuckled at his wife's "emotional overdrive" -- the nickname he'd given her pregnancy mood swings. "It's okay, Jamie...just remember that it'll all be over soon, and guess what? We'll have a beautiful baby to show for it."

It was those thoughts that kept Jamie going. Some days it was so hard -- she felt like her body was working twice as hard as normal and was still dragging behind. Had it just been a pregnancy or only been the leukemia, Jamie knew she'd be winning the fight no problem. But she'd realized within the past few months that combining the two wasn't only an exhausting situation, it was a dangerous one. Even so, she tried to always keep her spirits up -- for her own sanity and the sake of everyone else in her life.

By this time, though, it was time to head over to the shower at Cynthia's house.

"You about ready?" Landon asked Jamie, coming up from behind and wrapping his arms around her, resting his hands on her belly.

"Yeah, let's go."

About ten minutes later, they had arrived at Cynthia's. Landon pulled the Camaro into the driveway as he announced, "Here we are...I'll be back around 4, okay?"

She smiled at him, leaning in for a kiss. "Yeah, that sounds just fine. I love you," she said as she climbed out of the car.

"I love you, too, baby. I'll see ya soon..."

When Landon got home, he ran inside and grabbed his book bag, slinging it over his shoulder and running back out to his car, which he had left running. He glanced down at his watch -- 12:15. Landon had exactly 45 minutes 'til his class started, and he still had at least half an hour of driving to get there. He slid into the front seat, turned on the ignition, and sped off down the street to get on the highway.

At the same time Landon was driving to class, Jamie was sitting in Cynthia's living room, eating a delicious piece of marble cake topped with white frosting. "Cynthia, this cake is amazing..."

"Oh, honey, I'm glad you like it...it's the familys recipe. When Landon was younger I used to make it for him all the time." Cynthia smiled sweetly. "Maybe after that baby's born I'll pass it down to you..."

After eating the enormous meal, the ladies began the games, which was the part that Jamie had been looking forward to since Cynthia had first mentioned throwing the shower. The first game they played involved toilet paper and the size of Jamie's belly...let's just say that she looked bigger than she really was. Jamie got a good kick out of it, though, and laughed through pretty much the entire thing. Their next game was something that Sally had come up with: Guess That Baby Food. It was a blast! The women sat around a large table and were handed jars of baby food without the labels. They had to taste each one and try to guess which kind of food was what. It was no surprise when Mrs. Phillips from the church won -- she had five young children and was also pregnant with her sixth. Jamie was just glad to be able to spend this time with her friends and family before the baby came. With her in her seventh month, she only had a matter of weeks before the new arrival came.

* * *

Time had never passed slower. That thought was in Landon's head as he sat in his Introduction to Biochemistry class. All he wanted to do was get home and be with Jamie. They still had a bit of work to do to finish up the nursery, and Landon wanted to get it done as soon as possible, especially since at their last visit to Dr. Garrett, she had told them that the baby may come a few weeks early. It was nothing to be alarmed about, she had said, as long as Jamie hit at least 34 weeks. She was at 31 weeks now, so they had a little ways to go before it'd be safe. Landon wasn't very worried, though. He had a feeling that everything would turn out fine.

* * *

Presents -- Jamie had never gotten so many in her entire life. She and Landon had received a carrier, an excessive amount of clothes, a swing, and other small random things that were actually extremely useful. Everything that they hadn't bought for the baby yet had come in the form of shower gifts, and Jamie was grateful that they wouldn't have to purchase anything else for awhile. After everyone went home, she called Landon's cell phone. He answered after the second ring. "Hello?"

"Hey, honey, we just got done. Are you on your way?" Jamie rubbed her stomach gently, beginning to feel the Braxton-Hicks contractions that Dr. Garrett had warned would start coming a few weeks before the baby.

"Yeah, baby, I'm almost back into town...I should be there in about ten minutes. Is everything ready to be put in the car?"

"Yeah, your mom gave me a box to put the little things in and the big things haven't been taken out of their boxes yet, so it'll be easy to just out everything in the trunk."

"Okay, baby, see ya soon. I love you, Jamie."

She smiled into the phone. "I love you, too, Landon."

As promised, Landon arrived ten minutes later, pulling into the driveway and grabbing two boxes while his mom took the other one. Jamie got in the car, still feeling the painless tightening in her stomach. She whispered to the baby, "I know you're just getting ready to come, but wait just a few more weeks so you can be healthy, okay?"

They arrived home minutes later. Landon got out of the car, walking around to the other side and helping Jamie out. She took his hand and didn't let go even after she was out of the car. They walked up their front steps and opened the door, glad to be home.

* * *

"Landon? Did you get the drill from the garage?" Jamie asked as she lifted the pastel colored mobile to attach it above the baby's crib. "We're going to need it for the changing table."

"Right," Landon slapped his hands against his denim clad thighs and said, "Drill. Be right back."

Jamie's belly was getting rounder and such getting in her way more and more often. She attempted once more to lean over the crib and attach the mobile to the wall mounting above it, but her protruding belly continued to be a difficulty. "Well for goodness sake," she softly complained. "This is unbelievable." She stretched her fingers and came within an inch of the wall attachment's bracket. Giving up for the moment, she stepped back on her haunches and said to her belly, "Okay, you've really gotta give me a helping hand here. Now how am I supposed to put up this beautiful mobile that Grandma bought you if you won't let me hang it?" She tiptoed and tried again, but to no avail. The bracket seemed to be just out of reach. "Come on honey," she said softly to the baby. "Just move down a little so mommy can reach this." She tried to rub her hands over her belly and gently maneuver the baby's position, then stood up on her toes one last time. She stretched until she felt the burning sensation of her muscles pulling in her legs and in her lower back. "Juuuuuust a liiiiiiiiittle close¼.oww!" The mobile crashed to the ground as Jamie dropped to her knees in pain.

"Jamie!!!" Landon dropped the drill and ran towards his wife. His arms were around her in a matter of seconds. "Jamie? Are you okay?"

Jamie looked up with tears brimming in her eyes. "Landon...I think I'm in labor..."


	19. Labor Day

Author's Note:

Okay, so I know how much I suck for making you all wait this long for the one chapter you've really been anticipating. In fact, I'll be really surprised if anyone is still reading the story. School has just been so hectic lately with the end of term and finals. If you look on my profile, you'll see all the other reasons why. I had most of the chapter written, just no time to sit down and actually type it. Once again, guys, I'm so sorry! I promise, the next chapter will be up in a week and a half, tops. Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye. It will be up soon!

Lots of love and keep reviewing!

Lorah

P.S. If you can't tell, the story isn't over! I've still got two more chapters to put up.

Chapter 17

It was too early. Landon knew that much. What he didn't know was what was going to happen to his wife or his soon-to-be-born child. Landon's thoughts were soon broken as he felt Jamie squeeze down on his hand as another contraction ripped through her.

"Landon, I can't take this anymore!" she cried out helplessly. Beads of sweat had formed on her brow, threatening to spill over.

Landon stroked her upper arm gently, staring deep into her eyes. "Jamie, come on now…you can do this, baby. Okay, it's almost over now…"

Just then, Dr. Garrett walked into the room. "Quite a night to be having a baby, huh?" She made her way over to Jamie's bedside. "Jamie, since the medication to stop your labor hasn't worked, we'll keep giving you the corticosteroids through your IV and see where this goes. We may very well have a baby by morning. Do you have any questions?"

"Will the baby be okay?" She had tears in her eyes and Landon kissed her cheek in reassurance.

"Well, Jamie, I can't tell you anything for sure. However, the corticosteroids will speed up the baby's lung and organ development, so what we're hoping is that the baby will have the same amount of development as a baby born around 34 weeks, who usually do very well. We're doing everything we can, so now it just comes down to faith."

Jamie sniffled and smiled. "We've got plenty of that."

Dr. Garrett grinned. "That's good to know. Now, I'd like to check you just to see how far along you've come."

Jamie squeezed Landon's hand as Dr. Garrett checked her progress – it didn't look very comfortable to Landon. He reached down with his free hand to stroke her cheek gently; he wanted her to know that he wasn't going anywhere.

"Jamie, it looks like you're about four centimeters along. It should be at least a few more hours. Landon, if you want to call any family members or friends, I'd say now would be the time to do it."

'_So much for not going anywhere.'_ "Thanks, Dr. Garrett."

"You're welcome. Do you need anything else?"

Jamie answered with a smile. "No, I think we've got everything we need."

"In that case, I'll be back in about an hour to see how you're doing. Try to get some rest between now and then – you're going to need it," she added as she left the room.

"She's right, you know. Try to go to sleep while I go call in to work – I'm supposed to be there in forty-five minutes. I'll be right back, baby. I love you!" he called as he left.

Jamie laid back on her pillows, smiling and glancing at the clock. It had been about ten minutes since her last contraction, which meant that another one would be coming up in about-

Oh, God. The new one was here. Jamie curled around her belly, trying to remember how to breathe. She felt as if her body were trying to tear in half. Tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes as she squeezed them shut. Just as suddenly as they had come, Jamie's tears stopped as she felt something give way deep inside her. Jamie's water had broken, and she was now soaking wet. She pushed the "Call Nurse" button on the bed.

"Yes?" a gentle voice asked.

"Umm, I think my water just broke…"

"Okay, hon, I'll be right in with a new gown and sheets for you."

Now that the contraction was over, she felt better, with the small exception that she was alone. Her dad and Landon's parents hadn't arrived yet, and Landon was still on the phone. As if to prove her wrong, Landon walked in right then.

"Hey, baby, sorry it took so long. My manager wasn't there, so I had to call him at home. Big mess," he laughed nervously. "How're you doing, honey?"

"Pretty good. My water just broke, but the nurse is bringing me new sheets and a gown. She should be here-"

"Right now," the nurse said, walking into the room. "Let's get you cleaned up, okay?"

After the sheets were changed, Jamie's gown was replaced, and Jamie was comfortable, the nurse left.

"So," Landon asked, "since your water broke, does it mean you'll have the baby soon?"

"I hope so, but mostly it just means I'll have bone-on-bone pressure from the contractions 'cause there's no cushion to relieve it anymore. It actually could take an hour or two, or way longer. There's no way to know."

"Well, I'm hoping for your sake it doesn't take much longer. I hate seeing you in pain, baby. I can handle just about anything, except for your pain and your tears." He leaned over and kissed her. "If I could do this for you, I swear I would in a heartbeat."

Jamie smiled back. "I know you would, and that's why I love you."

Around six centimeters, Jamie had had enough. Originally, she had not wanted to get an epidural, but after actually experiencing labor pains, she had gone against her own wishes.

At the moment, though, she didn't know which was worse – the pain of her latest contraction or the pain of the long needle going into her spine. As soon as they had inserted the needle, a contraction had hit her and knocked the breath right out of her. The thought that kept her going was that this should be the last one.

"Okay, Jamie, we're almost done now," said the anesthesiologist.

"Baby, you're doing so great. I'm so proud of you," Landon interjected, staring straight into her eyes and kissing her knuckles.

Jamie breathed a sigh of relief as she felt the needle be pulled out of her back just as the contraction was winding down. The catheter was taped down and she was allowed to lay back again.

"I'm so glad that's over," she laughed. Landon smiled wide back at his wife in amazement. Even in times of unbearable pain, she was able to smile and laugh. It was one of the things about her that made him love her more and more everyday. She never complained about anything, even when she had more than a right to.

"Do you realize that you do to me?" he asked breathlessly. Landon gently sat down on the bed and reached for Jamie's hand, putting it over his heart.

"I do that?" she asked innocently – his pulse was racing.

He grinned. "Yeah." Kissing her, he asked, "Can you believe that we'll be a family of three in a matter of hours?" It blew his mind.

"I know, it's so exciting!" Jamie practically squealed. "Do you still think it's a girl?"

"Yeah," Landon chuckled. "Just a feeling."

"Well," Jamie sighed, "I'm not gonna care either way. Just as long as it's healthy…but now that's something we can't even count on." Her eyes brimmed with tears and Landon's heart broke when she said, "I just wish I could've done something differently."

"Stop that," he said. "Don't you say that. You did everything right. There's nothing you could've done that would've prevented this." Landon's thumb stroked her cheek and he added, "It's just like Dr. Garrett said – we can only hope and pray that everything will turn out okay."

Jamie let out a small smile against her tears. "You're right. I should've never lost faith. I love you so much, Landon."

Just then, there was a knock at the door. It opened slowly and Cynthia walked in, her ex-husband in tow. Worth was still wearing scrubs.

"Oh, you guys, we're really sorry we couldn't get here sooner. I got caught up in surgery and your mom had a meeting. We got here as soon as we could."

"Don't worry about it, Dad," Landon said. "Hegbert got here about an hour ago – he's getting something to eat at the cafeteria right now – and we've all just been hanging out."

Jamie laughed. "Speak for yourself, mister. I'm the one that's been doing all the work!" she joked, even though they all knew it was true.

"The main thing we were worried about was missing the birth. No offense, sweetie, but labor isn't the exciting part," Cynthia said. "I just can't wait to finally be able to see my grandbaby! A little early, I might add, but here nonetheless!"

That did it. Jamie burst into tears and Cynthia immediately started apologizing. "Landon, what did I say? Oh, Jamie, honey, I'm sorry…I didn't mean to hurt your feelings." She went over and sat on the bed, rubbing Jamie's back soothingly. "Really, I'm so sorry. Do you forgive me?"

Jamie looked up into the concerned face of her mother-in-law. "I forgive you, Cynthia, one hundred percent. It's just these hormones – they're going crazy right now."

"And with good reason, sweetie. You just lay back down and rest a while. You're gonna need all the energy you can get."

"Why does everyone keep telling me that?" Jamie laughed.

Thirteen hours had officially passed since Jamie had gone into labor, and the fat that it was finally coming to a close excited her more than anyone could know. It wasn't only because of the pain – they had stopped her spinal so she would be able to feel her contractions so she could know when to push – would be gone, either. It was also because it meant that she and Landon would have a son or daughter in a matter of a half an hour or so.

"Okay, Jamie, another contraction's coming up. What I'd like for you to do once you feel it is to pull your legs up, take a big deep breath, and bear down like you're going to the bathroom. We'll have you get through a ten-count before you can relax. I'll let you know what to do from there, okay? You ready?"

"I think so," Jamie said just as she felt the beginnings of her latest contractions and the new urge to push. She whimpered, "And I think I need to push…"

"Okay, Jamie, go ahead."

She clamped down on Landon's hand as she bore down and he held her right leg back. He and Jamie had also opted to have Worth in the delivery room, and he was holding her left leg at the moment.

"Good, Jamie, good. Whatever you're doing, keep doing it," Dr. Garrett said.

"Great job, baby. You're doing fantastic…keep it up, baby," Landon encouraged Jamie as he reached over and wiped the sweat off of her forehead. He noticed that within the eight-or-so seconds she'd been pushing, her face had gone from a healthy pink to tomato red.

The nurse finally hit the end of the ten-count and Jamie breathed out, relaxing and waiting for the next contraction. It was then that Landon remembered. "The camera."

"Do you have one, Landon?" Dr. Garrett asked.

"Yeah," he fished it out of his pocket. "It's a recorder. Is that alright?"

"Yes. Amanda?" Dr. Garrett called one of the nurses that were waiting for the baby's arrival. "Would you mind?" Landon's going to be a bit busy for the next few minutes."

"Sure." Amanda took hold of the digital recorder and began recording.

"Jamie, just try to relax until I tell you to push," Dr. Garrett said.

Jamie cried out when she felt the pain of the next contraction. "Here it comes…I need to push!"

"Go ahead, Jamie," Dr. Garrett said as she guided the baby's head out. "Landon, Worth, keep a good hold of her legs – they're slipping back a little. Push, Jamie!"

Jamie's cried echoed through the room as the baby's head finally made it's way out.

"Okay, just relax, Jamie. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth for a minute. Don't push."

Landon just stared at what Dr. Garrett was doing. She held a bulb syringe in her hand and suctioned out the baby's mouth and nostrils, then there was a loud cry. He and Jamie's baby. "Oh, my God," he whispered as his eyes filled with tears. "Holy cow." Landon looked up at his dad who was smiling at his son's reaction, then looked back down.

"Okay, Jamie, one more little push. You ready?" Dr. Garrett asked.

"I think so," she panted. "Oh, God, it hurts!" With one scream and one push, their child's shoulder's slipped out and Dr. Garrett pushed down on them, turning the baby and letting it slide into her arms.

"It's a girl!" she announced. "You've got a beautiful baby girl."

Tears were streaming down Landon's face as he took a good look at his daughter. "Oh, my gosh, Jamie, she's beautiful…" he whispered in his wife's ear.

"Landon, would you like to cut the cord?" He could only nod. Dr. Garrett handed him an instrument and he cut the line that kept his child alive for the past nine months.

"Wow." He took a deep breath and said, "That's incredible." Dr. Garrett then handed the newborn off to the pediatric specialist that had been called in for the birth in case of complications. She was taken over for a quick exam before she was taken to the neo-natal intensive care unit for more tests, being that she was almost two months early.

Jamie closed her eyes and felt a sharp stabbing pain. "Oh, my…" The tears started pouring down her face. "There's something wrong…" she whimpered as she felt the pain intensify.

Dr. Garrett massaged Jamie's stomach. "It's okay, Jamie. We're going to deliver the placenta now and then you should be fine." Dr. Garrett looked down and noticed the blood that began to saturate the bedding. "Landon, Worth? Why don't you go stay with the baby? Jamie, we're going to put you to sleep for a little while. Don't be alarmed." Dr. Garrett looked down at the anesthesiologist, then at the nurses. "Call Dr. Lewis – she's hemorrhaging."

Landon heard the word _hemorrhage_ and turned around quickly. "What's going on? Is she okay? Jamie? Jamie??" He called out to her but she didn't answer.

"She's under," the anesthesiologist replied.

"Landon, you're going to have to leave. Amanda!"

The nurse knew it was time to remove Landon and Worth from the room. "They're going to have to operate on your wife, Mr. Carter. Why don't you come with me and…what's the baby's name?"

"Halia. Halia Abigail." Landon turned to look at Jamie's lifeless body on the hospital bed. "She's so pale."

"Come on, Landon." Worth guided his son out of the room. "Let's go with the nurse."

Landon could hear the noises coming out of the hospital room as the doors closed behind him. Dr. Garrett was screaming for some clamps and more blood just as another physician ran into the room.

"I can't leave her," he mumbled to himself. "I can't," he said just a little louder. "Amanda? I need to stay with my wife. My dad will stay with out daughter." Landon quickly turned around, but Worth stopped him.

"You'll just be in the way, son. Let them do what they need to. She'll be fine." Worth stared into Landon's eyes and said, "Just have faith."

Landon sat in the waiting room for two hours just waiting to hear whether or not his wife was alive. His parents and Jamie's father were with him, but he had never felt so alone in his life. "Please, God, don't take her from us," he prayed silently.

"Landon." Dr. Garrett and Dr. Lewis walked into the room together. "This is Dr. Lewis. She helped in the operating room."

"Jamie? Where is she? Is she alright??"

Dr. Garrett sighed. "Landon, could we talk to you in another room?"

"Sure," he hesitated, following the two doctors down the hallway to a small consultation room. All three sat down.

"Where's Jamie? How is she?"

"Landon, it was pretty touch-and-go there for awhile. Jamie, well, she lost a lot of blood and we did everything we could, but we just weren't able to…"

It was the last thing Landon heard. He muttered out, "You mean, she's…she's…"

"I'm so sorry, Landon. We just couldn't save her. Complications from the cancer and the mix of an early delivery and loads of medications just didn't go over well in her body. She just couldn't take it…her body was already so weak…" Dr. Garrett laid a comforting hand on Landon's shoulder. "Do you want to see the baby?"

"I want to see my wife." Landon couldn't believe this was happening.

"Okay, I'll take you to see her. Follow me."

Landon walked down the hallway with Dr. Garrett, not fully realizing the extent of what he had just been told. They reached the dame room Halia had been delivered in and Dr. Garrett held the door open for Landon as he walked in. Jamie laid there peacefully, holding a pleasant look on her face. Landon made his way over to the bed where she lay and sat down. He touched her hand softly – it was cold – and leaned down to kiss her lips. All at once, the emotions hit him like a ton of bricks. Landon let out a choking sob as he fell over his wife's lifeless body. "Jamie, Jamie, Jamie…Jamie…" he cried helplessly, as if chanting her name would somehow bring her back to him. "You never even got to see her, Jamie…Jamie, she's so pretty…she looks…she looked just like you. And you never got to see her…our perfect little baby…why'd you have to leave, Jamie? Why?? …_Why??_..." Landon sat there for an hour, saying goodbye to his beloved, while Dr. Garrett informed the rest of the family.

Later that day, Landon was allowed to go see the baby. He walked to the nursery where Halia was – she wasn't being kept in the NIC-U because she hadn't had any major problems. Upon seeing her through the glass, his head fell forward in exhaustion, grief, and pure emotional-overload, hitting the window and startling the nurse inside. She looked up and noticed Landon, motioning him to walk around the side and come in.

Once inside, he picked up the baby and immediately began to feel some of his sadness melt away. Of course he was still in misery over Jamie's death, but holding this little person they had created together eased his sorrows a little. Not to mention, he could see so much of his wife in his daughter. "Hey, Halia. How're you doing, princess?"

"Mr. Carter?" the nurse asked. "I need you to fill out the forms for Halia's birth certificate, and then sign it."

"Okay," Landon said, taking the pen from her and leaning over the counter to sign it. At that same moment, another nurse walked in with a clipboard.

"Are you Landon Carter?" he asked sympathetically. Landon nodded. "Dr. Nancy Garrett said to look for you in here to have you sign this. It's concerning you wife."

Landon looked down at the clipboard the nurse was holding. It was Jamie's death certificate, all filled out except for a line that he was supposed to sign. Landon looked between his wife's death certificate and his daughter's birth certificate, realizing he had never felt more helpless.


	20. Is That a Bad Thing?

Author's Note: Okay, so this chapter is pretty short with hardly any detail, but hey, I promised an update in a week and a half, and I'm sticking to my word! The next chapter will be the last in the story, and hopefully it won't take me too long to get written and posted! Thanks a lot for everybody's support while I was writing this -- it means so much! As always, please review and tell me what you think.

Lorah :)

Chapter 18

Just as he slipped his suit jacket on, he heard the baby start fussing from the other room. Landon turned from the mirror and walked out of his bedroom, turning down the hall and entering the bright yellow nursery, where Halia laid in her crib.

"Hey, baby girl, what's wrong? Maybe you're feeling how I am today..." He picked up the baby and began to rock her gently in his arms.

It was 8 a.m., and the day of Jamie's funeral. Halia had gotten home yesterday, and Landon had ended up being up half the night with her. The rest of the night had been spent making final funeral arrangements for Jamie and writing her eulogy, which had taken much longer than expected. Maybe it was because she had done so much during her short life, but Landon believed he had had a hard time finding the words because he was so exhausted. Anyhow, it was finally written and ready to be given in about two hours.

Landon dressed Halia in the tiny dress that Jamie had picked out when they had gone shopping a few months back. Even though it was red and technically not appropriate funeral attire, Landon felt like it was something Jamie would have wanted the baby to wear. He had taken out the baby brush and had started to comb Halia's dark hair when he felt his cell phone vibrate in his pocket. He fished it out and flipped open the cover. "Hello?"

"Hi, honey. How're you holding up?" Landon immediately recognized the voice as his mother's.

"Hey, Mom. I'm doing okay, just getting the baby ready, then we're gonna head on over to the church. Does everything look okay over there?"

"Yeah, Landon. Everything looks great...the flowers are lovely. Lilacs just like Jamie asked for. ... Landon, honey, is there anything I can do for you?" He heard Cynthia's voice crack a little. "Anything at all?"

"Besides feeding me excessive amounts of caffeine, not really. I'll see you in a little bit, okay, Mom? We'll be over soon."

Landon looked out into the teary-eyed audience, then down at the sleeping baby in his arms before clearing his throat and leaning down to the microphone.

"It's heartbreaking for me," he started, "to know that this little girl is never going to be blessed with knowing her mother. She'll never know her kindness, generosity, or concern for others. To me it seems like an ironic twist of fate that this has happened. First Elizabeth, now Jamie. Sure, it's all part of God's plan, but we all have to ask why this has happened. If there was one person in this world who deserved to live a long life, it was Jamie. Yet, she took her impending death in stride. I never once heard her complain about anything, and her joy became infinite when we found out that she was pregnant. The doctor," he glanced at Dr. Garrett who sat in the second pew, "had told Jamie that she might not..." His voice cracked and he wiped away a tear before continuing. "That she might not make it through the delivery, but that never got her down. She just told the doctor that she would do it, 'With faith and a lot of hope.' I mean, some of the more cynical people would say that it didn't help much, but without Jamie's faith, I can honestly say that I don't think I'd be where I am today. Jamie's faith helped me realize that I had a lot of growing up to do, get through the last couple months of high school, and start a family, all in quick succession, I might add," he chuckled. "It was Jamie's faith that helped me find my own, much like a few of you sitting out there this morning." Landon glanced towards Eric and Belinda. "I know that Jamie's looking down on all of us right now from heaven, and I can guarantee that she's the happiest she's ever been. It would be so easy to be selfish and say that I need her here with us, and as much as I'd love to, I know that Jamie would just tell me that this is what had to happen. 'It's all part of the Lord's plan,' she would say. And you know what? She's totally right. If there's one thing on earth that my wife taught me, it's that you shouldn't question God -- there's a reason for everything and you just have to go with it. As hard as it is, you have to accept it." He looked at the ceiling. "Jamie, I'll miss you, and I'll see you when it's my time." Stepping from the pulpit, Landon walked back to the front pew where he sat down next to his mother, gently rocking his daughter when she whimpered from the sudden jolt.

"Honey, that was beautiful," Cynthia whispered in his ear.

He touched her hand that laid on his arm, patting it gently. There was no need for words.

If Landon was asked one more time if he wanted anything to eat, he knew he was going to blow a fuse.

It wasn't that he wasn't appreciative for everything that people were trying to do for him, but all Landon really wanted at the moment was to be alone with his daughter and everyone else out of the house. He hadn't had a moment's time to himself since he left the hospital. Between planning the funeral, calling up the members of Jamie's family that didn't know yet, and taking care of Halia, it just hadn't happened.

But here it was, four o'clock in the afternoon, and the Carter house was practically bursting at the seams with people -- people from the church, family, and a few sympathetic neighbors. It had been Cynthia's idea to have people come to the house after burying Jamie, and as much as Landon hated it, he just hadn't had the heart to tell his mom that.

Mrs. Duncan, a woman from the church, was walking towards Landon, her husband in-tow. Landon smiled half-heartedly as she came up to him. "Hi, Betty, Richard. How're you two?"

"Oh, Landon, we're just fine. I think the real question is how are you? We were so sorry to hear about Jamie..."

Landon sighed. "I'm doing okay. The baby's kept me pretty distracted," he added, almost as an afterthought.

"I would imagine. Where is that little angel, by the way? I heard she came home from the hospital. We're so glad there weren't any complications with her being early and all."

Landon smiled. "Me, too. She's a little under-weight, but the doctors expected that. Actually, I think my mom went to go get her out of her crib for people to see. I heard her fussing," he patted the baby monitor that sat in his shirt pocket, "so my mom figured why not bring her down here to liven things up a bit?" As if on cue, Cynthia came down the stairs with Halia in her arms. "Actually, here they are now."

"Well, it was very nice chatting with you, Landon. Give our condolences to the rest of the family."

"Thanks, Mrs. Duncan. I will." Landon looked over at the group of woman that had gathered around his mother, laughing a little. _'I guess the baby's a pretty good magnet. I should've expected it, though. She's gorgeous.'_

A few nights later, Landon was in a deep sleep when a baby's cry sounded through the baby monitor on his nightstand like a trumpet. Landon woke up, and out of habit, walked across the hall and into his daughter's bedroom.

Halia immediately quieted down once she was in Landon's arms. Landon rocked her a little and she quieted down even more.

"Now, how do I get you back to sleep?" Landon wondered out loud. Then, click -- light bulb. Landon quietly made his way downstairs and into the living room. He walked over to the stereo that sat right on top their DVD player and pressed the 'on' button. The loud sound of Creed filled the room-- briefly, that is.

"Shit!" Landon muttered, turning down the volume quickly. He didn't want to scare the baby, or the entire neighborhood, for that matter. After turning down the volume, he changed the c.d. to something more relaxing. The distinct sound of Mae echoed through the house as Landon held his daughter against his chest, gently swaying back and forth...just dancing her to sleep.

Cynthia, who had decided to stay with her son until he got a handle on everything that was going on in his life, jolted awake at the sound of what sounded like some heavy-metal band being played loudly downstairs. She walked into her son's room -- no Landon. She walked into Halia's room and looked in her crib, right as the music turned to some sort of indie band that was actually quite relaxing. She didn't know what was up, so she groggily made her way down the stairs and across the hall. Then she saw it. Landon held Halia against his chest, and he was dancing. She crossed her arms, leaned against the doorway, and smiled at the sight that lay before her. Her son -- and granddaughter -- dancing as though no one else on earth existed. She watched as Landon slowly turned in time to the music, and noted the slight gasp he made as he realized that she was there. He tried to smile to compensate for his minor embarrassment.

"I...we were...um...just dancing," he said, still smiling.

"So I see," Cynthia replied, walking over.

"I'm sorry I woke you up."

Cynthia smiled in nostalgia. "Don't be. Actually, did I ever tell you about the night I found your father dancing with you in his arms?"

Landon smiled. "Nope."

"Well, all you'd have to do to imagine it is change your name to Worth. You woke up in the middle of the night and your dad went to get you. Half an hour later, he still hadn't come back to bed, so I got up to see if he needed help with you. I found him in the living room with you resting against his chest, dancing. I just remember how I felt at that moment. He and I ended up dancing with you in between us." She laughed. "I guess I never realized how much you and your father are alike."

Landon gulped. "Is that a bad thing?" He knew how hard it was for his mom to talk about his dad. He had left on such bad terms and had never really been there for them, but lately it seemed like Cynthia was finally coming to terms with it all, especially since Landon and Worth had begun to have a relationship again.

Cynthia smiled. "Not at all."


	21. Epilogue

Author's Note: Well, here it is. The final chapter to "It's What We've Gotta Do." This story has been more than a year in the making, and I'm extremely sad to see it coming to a close. I've grown so much as a writer during this past year, and I hope you have enjoyed reading this story as much as I have enjoyed playing author to it. I cannot thank you all enough for your words of wisdom and encouragement along the way. On a lighter note, a few of you have asked for a sequel, and I'm excited to say that I have decided to take you up on that offer. The newest story will be called "The Dreamer's Child" and will follow a seventeen-year-old Halia who faces many of life's hardest and best times. Hopefully I will be able to post the first chapter soon. Watch for it! I guess I'll stop rambling now and get on with the chapter. As always, please read and review!

I love you guys!

Lorah

P.S. I know that some of the movie's dialogue in here is wrong...that was purposeful!

Epilogue

It had been four years. Somehow, amidst everything, Landon had made it through college and had been awaiting his acceptance into medical school. In fact, he had had finals today, and he felt pretty good about them. At the moment, though, he was driving back into Beaufort. There was something he needed to do before he went home for the evening.

Landon pulled up to the familiar house, parking in the street. He looked towards the porch that held so many precious memories. Opening the car door and stepping out into the road, he walked across it, up the sidewalk, and onto the wooden planks of the porch before taking off his sunglasses and knocking on the door. A minute or so later, a rotund woman answered the door -- Betty, Hegbert's housekeeper.

"Hello, Mr. Carter. Come in," she said as she ushered Landon inside.

"Thank you," he responded.

"Please, have a seat."

Landon made his way over to the old couch that he had grown so familiar with and sat down, looking around the room. It hadn't changed much in the last couple of years, with the exception of the picture that his father-in-law had taken of him and Jamie the day they got back from Boston and a picture his granddaughter taken on her first birthday. Both frames sat on the mantle of the fireplace amongst the others of the family. Suddenly, Hegbert walked into the living room from his office, where he had obviously been working on a sermon judging by the glasses that he wore.

"Landon." Hegbert took off his glasses and stuck them in the front pocket of his shirt before giving his son-in-law a hug and patting him on his back. He hadn't seen him in a week or so.

"Hey, you look good." The two men stepped away from each other as Hegbert gestured towards the couch that Landon had already been sitting on.

"Thank you...you, too. I'm getting by." They both laughed as they sat down, but both of them knew that the reason for Landon's visit wasn't just to make small talk. Hegbert took a breath before asking the inevitable.

"So, what's new, Landon?"

A smirk crossed Landon's face as if he knew that his father-in-law already knew the answer before he responded, "Well, I got into medical school."

Hegbert smiled at him in return. "Your mother told me that this morning. ...We're so proud of you. Jamie would've been proud of you, too," he added, nodding.

Landon almost let his emotions take over before he took a deep breath and reached into his worn messenger bag for the old book. "Listen..." He took it out of the bag and handed it to Hegbert. He looked him straight in the eye before nearly whispering as his voice cracked, "I want you...to have this..."

"Oh, Landon..." Hegbert reached for the book he knew all too well, turning it over in his hands gingerly. "Oh, my...thank you." He looked up at Landon with tears in his eyes and Landon looked back at him before looking at the floor.

"I'm sorry she never got her miracle."

Hegbert smiled. "She did...it was you." At that moment, Landon felt about ten feet tall. He could feel the hot tears welling up behind his eyes when Hegbert said with a smile, "Hey, why don't you come on upstairs? I know you've been waiting to see her." They walked into Jamie's old room, where Landon immediately saw a little ball curled up in her bed, fast asleep. Cynthia had brought her over earlier that morning after Landon left for school. He walked over to her.

"Halia, wake up, princess," Landon said softly, running his thumb along her cheek. The four-year-old opened her eyes slowly, rubbing them. She sprang up out of bed when she saw who was standing over her.

"Daddy!" she exclaimed as she threw her arms around his neck. "...Are we going home?"

"Yep...you tell Grandpa thank you for letting you come over to play." Hegbert laughed as Landon grabbed the bag of toys his daughter had brought along.

"Thank you, Grandpa."

"You're more than welcome, honey. Come back soon, okay?" He ruffled her hair a bit and kissed her after Landon had picked her up.

"Okay," she replied, resting her head on Landon's shoulder.

Walking outside to his SUV, Landon put Halia's bag in the backseat and turned to face his father-in-law. "Thanks for watching her."

"Anytime, Landon. You know that," he replied as Landon strapped his daughter in. "I hope you two come again soon. Love you, Halia."

"Love you, too, Grandpa," she called from her car seat.

_Sorry I never told you all I wanted to say  
And now it's too late to hold you  
'cause you've flown away, so far away_

Never had I imagined living without your smile  
Feeling and knowing you hear me, it keeps me alive, alive

The sun was beginning to set as they pulled up to the docks where Landon and Jamie had had their first date. There were so many bittersweet memories associated with this place; Landon could already feel himself getting emotional. They both hopped out of the car. Landon grabbed Halia's hand as they went down to the water.

_And I know you're shining down on me from heaven  
Like so many friends we've lost along the way  
And I know eventually we'll be together, one sweet day_

"Daddy, do you miss Mommy?" the little girl asked her father.

"Very much," he replied as he looked out at the water, just as the sun touched it.

_Darling, I never showed you, assumed you'd always be there  
And I took your presence for granted, but I always cared  
And I miss the love we shared_

And I know you're shining down on me from heaven  
Like so many friends we've lost along the way  
And I know eventually we'll be together, one sweet day

"Me too," Halia whispered as a tear rolled down her face. Landon got down on his  
knees to her level.

"Halia, don't cry for Mommy. Did you know that she's watching over us now?" He looked up towards the sky.

"Really?" She looked up at Landon.

"Of course. And she left me something to cherish forever," he said as he  
patted Halia's head. "A lifetime of memories, and one big miracle." His eyes clouded over as he looked at the sky. "I love you, Jamie."

_Although the sun will never shine the same  
I'll always look to a brighter day  
Lord, I know when I lay me down to sleep  
You will always listen as I pray_

And I know you're shining down on me from heaven  
Like so many friends we've lost along the way  
And I know eventually we'll be together, one sweet day

And I know you're shining down on me from heaven  
Like so many friends we've lost along the way  
And I know eventually we'll be together, one sweet day


End file.
